Exercise, Pain, and Healthy Aging

As we age our body changes over time. If you listen to your body, which most of us do not, it will signal to us when enough is enough. If we choose to push our bodies past the sensible limit, we end up with injuries that may take a while to heal. Paying attention to what your body needs is key to aging. One thing about aging we don’t really have control over are the aches and pains and wearing over time of the joints. 

According to Healthinaging.org, as you get older, your cartilage may start to deteriorate from the normal wear and tear of the passing years. The protective membranes and fluids in your joints begin to dry up. These changes may allow the bones to rub against each other painfully. You may also notice that some joints have changed shape—especially in your fingers or toes. You may feel stiff in the morning, or have aches and pains in some joints that never bothered you before. The joint may even become swollen and warm to the touch. These problems are common in older people. Usually, they are minor annoyances, but sometimes joint pain and deformities can make it very hard to function, and eventually you may need to have surgery or have the joint replaced.

Many joint problems can be managed by the primary care doctor. Others may be handled by:

• Orthopedist (doctor specializing in the treatment of the musculoskeletal system) 
• Physiatrist (doctor specializing in rehabilitation medicine) 
• Physical therapist (healthcare professional that helps you maintain, restore or improve physical function due to injury, disease, or disability) 
• Rheumatologist (a doctor who specializes in the treatment of the joints and connecting tissues)

The Most Common Types of Joint Problems:

• Arthritis (or osteoarthritis) is the most common type of joint problem in older people. It usually affects knees, hips, hands, spine or sometimes shoulders. 
• Rheumatoid arthritis is the second most common type of chronic arthritis. It is caused by an auto-immune reaction in which your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks joint tissues. Most typically, it involves the joints in your fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles and toes. 
• Other types of arthritis include gout or pseudogout. Sometimes, there is a mechanical problem in the joint, such as torn cartilage, that causes pain or inhibits movement in the joint. 

Types of joint problems that affect the soft tissues like muscles, tendons, and ligaments include:

• Rotator cuff injuries 
• Tendonitis 
• Frozen shoulder 
• Fibromyalgia 
• Carpal tunnel syndrome 
• Bursitis

How Common are Joint Problems? Osteoarthritis, which affects about 27 million Americans, is the main reason that so many people “slow down” as they get older. Half of Americans over the age of 65 have been told they have arthritis by their healthcare professional. Women are slightly more likely to get a diagnosis of arthritis than men. But, gout is more common in men, with an estimated six million people having experienced an attack of gout.

The other main types of chronic joint problems can occur in the older population are:

• Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease (including pseudogout) occurs in about half of all people between the ages of 80 to 90 years, although many have no symptoms. 
• Fibromyalgia is usually first diagnosed in middle age, and affects 3-5% of women and about 0.5% of men. Chances of having fibromyalgia increase as you get older. Tendonitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue that attaches muscles to bones. This condition can occur in anyone but becomes more common in older people as tissues lose their flexibility. Rotator cuff problems occur most often in the 55-85 year old age group. The rotator cuff involves the tissues supporting the shoulder joint. About 30% of older people have tears in their rotator cuff muscles and tendons, but many have no symptoms. 
• Carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on a nerve in the wrist and may cause tingling, numbness and pain in the hand. It affects between four and ten million Americans, and older people are at higher risk of suffering from the condition. 

According to MedlinePlus.gov , exercise is one of the best ways to slow or prevent problems with the muscles, joints, and bones. A moderate exercise program can help you maintain strength, balance, and flexibility. Exercise helps the bones stay strong.

Talk to your health care provider before starting a new exercise program. It is important to eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of calcium. Women need to be especially careful to get enough calcium and vitamin D as they age. Postmenopausal women and men over age 65 should take 1,200 mg of calcium and 400 to 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day. If you have osteoporosis, talk to your doctor about prescription treatments.

According to eldergym.com , stretching is also an important part of elderly and seniors flexibility and will help offset the effects of normal decline in the flexibility of your joints, and help you remain active and independent.

As we age muscles become shorter and lose their elasticity. Aging can affect the structure of your bones and muscles causing pain and decreased range of motion in the shoulders, spine and hips. Stretching is an excellent way to relax and relieve tension if you incorporate breathing exercises and good posture in your stretching program. It becomes very important for seniors to maintain range of motion and your ability to move all joints normally with activities during the day.

Generally elderly and seniors stretching should be done 2 to 3 days per week, performing each stretch 3 to 5 times with a 20 to 30 second hold. Try one or two stretches for each body region If you would like to increase your flexibility, stretches should be performed 4 to 5 days per week. Remember that it is important to warm-up before beginning an elderly flexibility exercise program. The warm-up is an excellent place to use your stretching exercises.

General flexibility guidelines:

• Warm up before stretching 
• Don’t bounce during stretching. 
• Don’t hold your breath during a stretch. 
• Stretching should not cause pain, be gentle. 
• Don’t combine turning and bending back exercises at the same time. To stretch the back relax in a chair by supporting yourself with your hands on your legs while leaning forward. 
• When performing knee bends, don’t drop your buttock below the level of your knees. This places too much strain on your knees. Better to do shallow knee bends, keeping your feet apart and not locking the knees. Keep your back straight throughout the exercise. 
• Avoid pressing the head backward during head rolls which can damage the vertebrae in your neck. Move the head gently from side to side, never too quickly. 

Remember, elderly and seniors flexibility training will only show benefits if it is done regularly with the correct form and duration of stretch.

So go ahead and give it a try, it can only help. But, as always, remember to check with your doctor or healthcare physician to make sure you are healthy enough to start any new exercise regiment.

Peace & Love - April Williams