Getting older is something that happens to everyone but as you age you naturally are prone to aches and pains. Even though you can’t really change the fact that it happens you can change how it happens and learn ways to improve chronic pain for seniors. You can ensure that you age gracefully, and if you have a condition that means that you are struggling with chronic pain in your old age, there’s no reason it should be taking away from your quality of life.
Here are some practical, tried ways to improve chronic pain for seniors.
Regular Doctor’s Appointments
With any type of chronic condition, it’s vitally important to go to your doctor on a regular basis to check on your condition and general health. It’s recommended that you visit your doctor at least once every six months or more frequently, your doctor can help you track any changes in your chronic pain – it getting worse or it getting better.
If things are getting worse then you should visit your doctor immediately. But sometimes a sudden improvement in chronic pain can mean that you have nerve dysfunction that needs to be looked at or another chronic ailment that needs immediate attention.
Anti-Inflammatory Medication
Much of what causes chronic pain is really just inflammation – the body’s reaction to irritation and pain. Why is this good? This means that the source of the pain can be tracked down and treated.
There are great anti-inflammatory medications available over the counter that will help you cope better with your pain, though make sure to check during your next doctor’s appointment which of these anti-inflammatory medications will work best for you.
If that doesn’t do it for pain management, then your doctor should be able to prescribe something else for you instead or recommend you to attend physical therapy or see a pain management doctor.
Staying Active
If chronic pain is happening to you because of your hips, back, joints, or muscles then becoming active (and staying active) is key to reducing your pain. Check with your doctor to make sure that the exercise you plan on doing will help what’s causing your chronic pain instead of making it worse.
There are plenty of ways to still stay active that are high-impact and will keep pressure off of your joints – therapeutic yoga is one excellent way for people from every single age group to stay active.
Exercising in Water
For many people getting older, it’s just too hard to get up and exercise – for some, even getting up and walking feels like a painful mission. And that’s just part of getting older for some. It might be because of a chronic condition or it might be because of an injury you went through earlier on in life.
That doesn’t mean that you have to be any less active, though, and you can still be more physically active no matter your physical state. Exercising in water manages to take the pressure off for many people who still want to stay active – and this will mean that your joints are taking less strain underwater, making exercise much easier for you to undertake.
Heat and Compression
If you experience a lot of pain and tension in your joints and muscles, then heat and compression are two treatments that are most commonly recommended to take the pressure off: Heat and compression will both manage to reduce some of the swelling in your joints and take care of the pain, too.
Even if you don’t have arthritis and you’re just a little sore from exercising, applying some heat will help to get rid of the aching feeling that you have in your muscles.
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I’m a senior and keeping active is the best thing that has helped keep my pain from arthritis at bay. Every once in a while I will have to take a couple of ibuprofen because the pain is just too much.
I need to keep these in mind when I get older. I don’t want to deal with chronic pain. I do try to keep active now!
This is all wonderful to know. I’m certainly going to keep these in mind. I think it’s so important to continue to exercise daily, even if it’s something simple.
This is a really great and very informative post. This will surely help a lot! I’m surely going to keep this in mind
Great post! I think staying active is very important once you start getting older.
This was an interesting read. Exercising in water can make such a big difference. The water supports so much it doesn’t affect the joints to the same extreme.
I have lived with chronic pain for decades and can attest that these methods definitely help with managing the pain!
I think staying active in the elder age is essential. We forget about it very often!
Great tips! My mother has arthritis and Parkinson’s diseases. She has been told to do lots of freehand exercises, physiotherapy and heat and compression treatments.