Getting old is a pain.Literally.
Just ask Peter Wonderly.
The avid bicyclist, 49, has noticed that "you fall down justthe same, but you don't get up as easily."
Wonderly suffers from back and neck pain and sees his familydoctor, a chiropractor and an acupuncturist for treatment.
"I don't want this to affect my performance," Wonderly said."I need to get this figured out."
Whether due to an overactive lifestyle or a sedentary one,baby boomers -- people between 43 and 62 years old -- are reachingretirement in worse shape than their predecessors, according to aDecember 2006 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Older boomers are reporting more pain and problems performingregular tasks like walking a block, climbing a flight of stairs andkneeling, the study found.
Additionally, arthritis is expected to rise by nearly 40percent by 2030, due to the surge of boomers, reports the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention.
Even lucky boomers who have staved off the pain aren't likelyto remain unscathed forever.
"That's where the increase in pain medicine comes from," saidDr. Rakesh Shishodia, medical director of Bakersfield Family MedicalCenter and internal medicine/geriatric specialist. "They basically wanttheir pain managed to maintain an acceptable lifestyle."
With proper home remedies, trips to the doctor's office andprevention, some of the pain can be relieved or avoided, several localphysicians said. Home remediesSome pain, often brought on by an injury, will disappear onits own or with home remedies, said Dr. Jennifer Black, physician incharge of hospice and palliative medicine for Kern County's KaiserPermanente in California. If a muscle or joint is damaged through overexertion, tryR-I-C-E -- rest, ice, compression and elevation -- Black said. Massage and gentle stretching can relieve some pain, severalphysicians said. And if that doesn't work, Black and Shishodia recommendacetaminophen, or Tylenol, though moderation is stressed due topotential liver damage. Black recommends people with healthy liverstake no more than 4,000 milligrams a day, roughly eight pills dependingon the dose. People with unhealthy livers should probably cut that in half.And if pain doesn't subside after three days, get to a doctor,Shishodia said. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin andibuprofen, are common choices, but chronic use can causegastrointestinal distress, said Dr. John Brazill with Bakersfield PainManagement. He suggested no more than 800 milligrams, or four pills a day,of Motrin (ibuprofen) for no more than a month.
"If there's any doubt, speak to your physician," Black said. Seeing the doctorSymptoms that may require a physician's care include low backpain that has lasted for more than a month and hasn't responded totreatments, along with pain that wakes you up in the night andinterferes with mobility, Black said. "If it's a disc bulge or something of that nature and it'schronically damaging the nerve, it may never recover," Brazill said."If it lasts longer than three to four weeks, you should see somebody."Severe headaches and chest pain shouldn't be ignored. And any patient who has had cancer should see the doctor forany pain complaints, Black said. "Holding back and being stoic is not necessarily a goodthing," she said. "I would rather have them come in earlier andcomplain more." A doctor may prescribe a narcotic, such as morphine, or aCOX-2 inhibitor, which are the same types of medicine as aspirin andibuprofen but selectively block pain-causing inflammatory chemicals. Vioxx, the blockbuster drug that was pulled from the market in2004 after studies found it contributed to elevated heart attack andstroke risk, was a COX-2 inhibitor. Celebrex, which also carries the risk but is on the market, isa popular choice, but Black prefers prescribing ibuprofen, which doesroughly the same thing, she said.
Prevention methodsTo prevent pain, Brazill urges boomers to stretch often and doexercises that strengthen the abdominal muscles, which help support aperson's weight. Yoga often helps, Shishodia said. Also, realize that growing older includes a gentle wearing outof the body. "Things are catching up," Brazill said. "You cannot reallytake a pill that's going to preserve your back." Source: The BakersfieldCalifornian. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.Powered by Yellowbrix.
