Boomers in Pain

Getting old is a pain.
Literally.

Just ask Peter Wonderly.

The avid bicyclist, 49, has noticed that "you fall down just
the same, but you don't get up as easily."

Wonderly suffers from back and neck pain and sees his family
doctor, 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 reaching
retirement in worse shape than their predecessors, according to a
December 2006 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Older boomers are reporting more pain and problems performing
regular tasks like walking a block, climbing a flight of stairs and
kneeling, the study found.

Additionally, arthritis is expected to rise by nearly 40
percent by 2030, due to the surge of boomers, reports the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.

Even lucky boomers who have staved off the pain aren't likely
to remain unscathed forever.

"That's where the increase in pain medicine comes from," said
Dr. Rakesh Shishodia, medical director of Bakersfield Family Medical
Center and internal medicine/geriatric specialist. "They basically want
their pain managed to maintain an acceptable lifestyle."

With proper home remedies, trips to the doctor's office and
prevention, some of the pain can be relieved or avoided, several local
physicians said.

Home remedies

Some pain, often brought on by an injury, will disappear on
its own or with home remedies, said Dr. Jennifer Black, physician in
charge of hospice and palliative medicine for Kern County's Kaiser
Permanente in California.

If a muscle or joint is damaged through overexertion, try
R-I-C-E -- rest, ice, compression and elevation -- Black said.

Massage and gentle stretching can relieve some pain, several
physicians said.

And if that doesn't work, Black and Shishodia recommend
acetaminophen, or Tylenol, though moderation is stressed due to
potential liver damage. Black recommends people with healthy livers
take no more than 4,000 milligrams a day, roughly eight pills depending
on 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 and
ibuprofen, are common choices, but chronic use can cause
gastrointestinal distress, said Dr. John Brazill with Bakersfield Pain
Management.

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 doctor

Symptoms that may require a physician's care include low back
pain that has lasted for more than a month and hasn't responded to
treatments, along with pain that wakes you up in the night and
interferes with mobility, Black said.

"If it's a disc bulge or something of that nature and it's
chronically 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 for
any pain complaints, Black said.

"Holding back and being stoic is not necessarily a good
thing," she said. "I would rather have them come in earlier and
complain more."

A doctor may prescribe a narcotic, such as morphine, or a
COX-2 inhibitor, which are the same types of medicine as aspirin and
ibuprofen but selectively block pain-causing inflammatory chemicals.

Vioxx, the blockbuster drug that was pulled from the market in
2004 after studies found it contributed to elevated heart attack and
stroke risk, was a COX-2 inhibitor.

Celebrex, which also carries the risk but is on the market, is
a popular choice, but Black prefers prescribing ibuprofen, which does
roughly the same thing, she said.

Prevention methods

To prevent pain, Brazill urges boomers to stretch often and do
exercises that strengthen the abdominal muscles, which help support a
person's weight.

Yoga often helps, Shishodia said.

Also, realize that growing older includes a gentle wearing out
of the body.

"Things are catching up," Brazill said. "You cannot really
take a pill that's going to preserve your back."

Source: The Bakersfield
Californian. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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