Aches and Pains

Aches and Pains

Between arthritis and the hard-knock experiences of a life well-lived, aches and pains seem to be an inevitable part of aging. But they’re not.

In fact, everyday aches and pains in your joints aren’t necessarily due to arthritis. Sometimes, pain can simply occur from an afternoon of really brisk walking or a morning spent out in the garden. Those are the pains that you can alleviate or easily prevent.

First, you have to know your trouble zones. Men and women over 60 tend to be most prone to pain in the lower joints—the hips, knees, ankles, and feet—according to Dale L. Anderson, M.D., coordinator of the Minnesota Act Now Project in Minneapolis and author of Muscle Pain Relief in 90 Seconds. These are the areas that you’ll especially want to protect and pamper.

If you have occasional joint pain and inflammation, you can do a number of things to feel better and prevent them from returning. If your pain frequently returns, it could be the result of arthritis.

Try This First

Make it right with RICE. If you have joint pain, then RICE might be the answer, says William Pesanelli, a physical therapist and director of Boston University’s rehabilitation services. In this case, we’re not talking about Uncle Ben’s latest concoction. RICE is an easy way to remember the pain-relieving sequence of rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

1. Until you notice that the pain has decreased, rest the affected area and avoid the activity that caused the pain, Pesanelli says.

2. Put ice on the injured area to help narrow the blood vessels and limit swelling. Keith Jones, trainer for the Houston Rockets basketball team, recommends applying ice wrapped in a towel or cloth to the area at least three times per day for 20 minutes.

3. Use compression, which means wrapping an elastic bandage, such as an ACE bandage, around the injured area to help limit the swelling and to allow you to resume your everyday activities, recommends Pesanelli. However, remove the bandage at once if the area below the bandage feels numb or tingles like it is falling asleep, if it changes color, or if it feels cooler than the rest of your body. Wait for those symptoms to subside and then rewrap it more loosely.

4. Elevate the affected area above the level of your heart. This will prevent blood and other fluids from collecting at the injury, thereby reducing the swelling, says Pesanelli. If you have a history of impaired circulation in the injured area, however, skip the elevation step because limiting blood flow to an area of the body with impaired circulation can be dangerous, says Dr. Anderson.

Other Wise Ways

Mix RICE with peas. An ice pack is good, but frozen peas are better, at least when it comes to icing a sore joint, says Pesanelli. A bag of frozen peas won’t leak the way some ice packs do, he points out. “And because the peas are so small, you’re able to bend the package to conform to the painful area, whether it’s your shoulder or your kneecap.” He suggests applying the bag of peas wrapped in a thin towel every couple of hours as part of the RICE sequence.

After you’ve used the peas once, you can just toss them back in the freezer compartment, get them iced, and use the same bag again. But since bacteria can quickly multiply in food that has been thawed and refrozen, make sure to clearly label the bag so that you don’t accidentally try to serve the peas for dinner.

Lose some weight. “If people lose 5 to 10 pounds, it considerably lightens the load on all of their lower joints—hips, knees, ankles, and feet,” according to Dr. Anderson. “One of the main causes of these joint-related pains is that people are simply overweight. They’re carrying a Mack truck frame on Volkswagen tires, and eventually their joints wear out from the stress.”

Alter your walking style. If your ankles, feet, or knees are aching, you may be walking too hard. Hard walkers suffer from more aches and pains in their feet, ankles, and knees because their heels strike the ground with greater force than soft walkers’ do, says Dr. Anderson. But he points out that it’s never too late to alter your walking style.

Just try this exercise: Imagine that you’re a puppet with threads lifting you up at the head and shoulders. Visualize yourself lightening up and walking on a layer of air, with your feet gliding as though on imaginary ice skates.

Shoe away the pain. If you do a lot of walking, boot out any hard leather-soled shoes or high heels that are in your closet, recommends Dr. Anderson. “Opt instead for a shoe with a cushioned sole and heel and proper arch supports to save some wear and tear on your legs, ankles, feet, and hips.”

Stand up straight. It turns out that your mom—or your drill sergeant—was right all those years ago when she told you to stand tall like a soldier. Stand up straight, push your shoulders back, arch your back slightly, and keep your chest out when sitting and walking. If you walk with your shoulders slouched, your chin forward, and your back rounded, it can lead to back, shoulder, or neck pain.

Stay active. To prevent joint aches and pains, get yourself on an exercise program, says Pesanelli. Joint surfaces naturally wear down over time, and this is complicated by the fact that your body usually produces less lubricating fluid as you get older. Since movement helps get vital nutrients into your joints, you can keep the joints better lubricated if you keep them warm and moving, he adds.

Pesanelli suggests a thorough warm-up routine with plenty of gentle stretching, followed by low-impact activities such as brisk walking or lap swimming for at least 20 minutes at a time three or four times per week. This is a sound form of exercise for seniors, he says, not only to keep your joints in good shape but also to keep your heart and lungs in working order. Just be sure to check with your physician before you begin an exercise regimen.