No one wants to get old, but what’s the alternative?

Aging is something we all have to come to terms with, still being in constant pain as we get older can make life unbearable. According to the American Geriatrics Association, up to 50% of older adults have significant, persistent pain.

If you’re in the camp, hopefully, these simple tips will help you reduce the pain of aging.

 

Perfecting Posture

Poor posture can lead to a multitude of negative health effects, from low back pain to increased cardiovascular risk and incontinence. Correcting your posture is one of the best ways to reduce, or even prevent, the pains of aging.

Perfecting your posture is all about being conscious when you are out of alignment. Keeping your shoulders back, head up and back straight all day can be a pain though.

That’s why many experts recommend staying in motion to make it easier to maintain posture and improve blood flow.

Experts at the biometrics institute recommend near-constant movement throughout the day. Whether you are kneeling, squatting, sitting, walking or standing, the most important thing is increasing circulation through movement and being aware of your posture.

 

Maintain a Healthy Diet

Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the best ways to prevent the pains of aging. Researchers at Harvard have found Inflammation caused by a poor diet to be the number one cause of musculoskeletal pain.

As Dr. Fred Tabung, of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says:

“The evidence is quite strong that your diet can contribute to increased systemic inflammation…But your diet is also one of the best ways to reduce it.”

Controlling your weight through diet also greatly helps reduce joint pain through the years. Diet is no wonder pill, but it can be an effective way to drastically improve your quality of life and keep you out of pain as you age.

 

Supplementation: Worth It?

The popularity of supplementation over the past couple of decades has exploded. Thousands of new brands have sprouted up to fill consumers’ increasing appetite for these supplements.

Do they really work though? Some evidence indicates many of the most expensive supplements aren’t as effective as originally indicated.

For example, one of the most popular joint supplements glucosamine/chondroitin has recently had its effectiveness put into question by multiple studies. In 2010, a meta-analysis of over 3,800 osteoarthritis patients concluded that the supplements had no effect on joint pain.

 

Even worse, the case for glucosamine/chondroitin as a form of preventative medicine appears similarly weak.

A 2016 study of over 180 patients were actually stopped halfway through when researchers found that the control group was performing better than the patients receiving a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement.

Supplementation is said to be an effective tool to fill in nutritional gaps in your diet. However, finding a study that actually supports the use of supplements is rare. In fact, many studies are finding no benefit at all to supplementation.

Be careful with supplements. The industry is full of greedy fly by night companies who do limited research on their products. Eating a good diet with whole foods is far more effective at keeping joint pain at bay as you age than any supplement.

 

Stay Active

The evidence is clear, our muscles change as we age. It’s more difficult to maintain muscle mass and circulation throughout our golden years. This can lead to joint pain, poor posture and a slew of other negative health effects.

One of the best ways to fight against muscle and circulation loss is to simply stay active. That means cardio and strength training even beyond the age of 60.

Since 1988, over 50 studies have been done on the effects of strength training on the elderly. The evidence is undeniable, strength training results in significant improvements in skeletal muscle function, muscle hypertrophy(growth), cellular adaptations, and changes in the performance of functional tasks.

If you want to avoid pain as you age, stay active.

 

Get Orthopedic Care

Orthopedic conditions are the most common reason to visit a physician. In fact, one in seven Americans is currently suffering from an orthopedic condition and over seven million Americans are hospitalized annually for these complaints.

If you want to keep pain at bay as you age, getting a doctor of orthopedics to help you with preventative care is vital. Doctors of orthopedic medicine can help improve your range of motion, reduce pain and make everyday tasks easier through non-invasive preventative procedures and care.

Unfortunately, many elderly Americans are already living a life in pain from their orthopedic conditions. If that is the case, it’s important to find an orthopedic surgeon to get you back to a pain-free life as soon as possible.

 

Quit Smoking

While the rate of smoking in the U.S has fallen significantly over the past fifty years, over 12% of the population still smokes in 2019. The negative effects of smoking are no secret, but what might surprise modern-day smokers is the variety of problems that daily packs can cause.

In a recent study done at the University of Florida, researchers found some startling new risks

associated with smoking, these include: lower Bone Mineral Density(BMD), increased fracture risk, periodontitis, alveolar bone loss, and dental implant failure.

 

If you want to avoid pain as you age it pays to put down the smokes.

We are all facing the challenge of aging, so let’s do it gracefully. Following these tips, along with getting the best pain patch online can help you live with less pain and have the golden years we all imagine.