Many tend to blame a lot of things on age. Decreased balance, decreased strength, and pain are amongst the most common complaints in older people. So what is really brought on by age and what do we have the ability to change?
Here are a few TYPICAL changes our bodies experience, as we get older:
- Bones lose some mineral content (can lead to osteoporosis)
- Bones lose the joint cartilage that covers them and there is some narrowing of the spaces between our joints (typical joint degeneration)
- Decreased mobility of joints (joint stiffness), including those in the spine
- Muscles and tendons lose elasticity, causing a loss of some flexibility
*Please be aware that Joint Degeneration is a typical process that happens as we age. It is a slow moving process and our bodies have sufficient time to adapt to these changes under normal circumstances.
The next list includes changes that are ATYPICAL and do not have to occur as we age:
- Feeling very weak or out of energy
- Feeling pain that affects your ability to perform the activities you want to do (it is not abnormal to have some “aches and pains” however if you are limiting yourself from picking up your grandchildren, reaching overhead, going outside to walk or go to the store, or have found that you are no longer having FUN in life – that is when you should seek care!)
- Falling frequently or feeling very off balance
So when did it become a societal norm to blame age for pain, weakness, or feeling frail? One reason could be that with the increased use of medical imaging, a widespread misconception developed that the imaging results must link a diagnosis with pain. For example, if you get an X-ray and it shows you have arthritis, that means you have pain right? Wrong. Although images are highly correlated with the progression of degeneration, research has shown that x-rays do not correlate with pain levels. Some people have minimal arthritis, but have significant pain while others are “bone-on-bone” and have nearly no pain. The philosophy of my practice is to listen to what patients say rather than focusing on imaging results. Many times we can impact deficits in flexibility, strength, and balance which will significantly change one’s functional abilities and your pain level.
I challenge you to STOP blaming age for pain that affects your daily life. It is not typical and does not need to be this way. Don’t let your parents and relatives use age as an excuse, encourage them to seek care and get active. If, for some reason, they (or you) are unable to get active because it hurts to do so, consider seeking treatment from a physical therapist. Our role is to find tasks that you can do, challenge your body, and help you – regardless of age – improve STRENGTH, BALANCE and REDUCE PAIN!!! Nevertheless, we also encourage you to take control of your life and become active!
Sports Physical Therapy of NY, PC will be present at the upcoming Arthritis Expo on Saturday March 31st at the Hilton Hotel in Clifton Park. Please stop by to further discuss this topic and get screened to determine if you are below, above, or at the average for strength and flexibility!
Created by:
Alison Synakowski, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC, CSCS
Facility Manager
Certified Sportsmetrics Instructor
Sports Physical Therapy of NY, PC
1 West Ave, Suite 150
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
(518)-583-7537 x2805
(518)-583-7606 (fax)
www.sptny.com
www.sportsmetrics.org