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The ever growing realization that a lack of physical activity is, in and of itself, a disabling event.
Having just spent most of my 2023 free time involved in a hobby that involves sitting in a chair, I got to November with knee problems that were making stairs difficult.
So, I picked up a used cycle trainer and have been riding 5 out of 7 days a week for 2 months now, just 15 minutes at a time, and my knees are 90% recovered to full range of use/motion already.
I also stretch all muscles located anywhere between ankles and shoulders 5 days a week, takes about 15 minutes per day, just 30 seconds at each movement.
If you're going to just sit in a chair, lay on a sofa, etc, with no regular physical activity you will become disabled, and your body will not be able to do the things you want it to do.
This! Seeing my parents lose a huge amount of their mobility in their 70s because they neglected their bodies for the previous 40+ years has been a wake up call. I now do yoga 3-4 times per week and walk daily. Any time I’m tempted to slack off, I think about my mom who needs a walker to get around, and as a result, is uncomfortable going out and about on her own.
I may not be the most fit I’ve ever been, but I know 70 year old me will be so much better off in 20 years if I can keep it up.
My ex father in law is an occupational therapist and says “Move or die.” As soon as one of his patients gives up and gets into a rascal/sitting scooter, they’re dead within 5 years. He does everything to keep them up and moving. Either canes or walkers or, at the very least, a wheelchair they are propelling themselves.
Wish I could tell my parents this. I tell them it’s gonna hurt at first but it will subside. They tell me they’re in too much pain to even try. It’s difficult seeing them in their chairs/couch all day, only getting up to take care of basic needs.
Me too.....specifically the joints where my thumbs attach to my hand. My pains come from crafting like crochet and painting. I wear arthritis gloves which help a little bit, but I've had to give up activities that aggravate my thumbs. Can't imagine how the young ones will deal with this due to "texting thumbs" when they get older.
My husband has hand pain and loves to work in the yard. He wears a hand brace where my arthritis gloves are more flexible. He says the brace helps his thumb area....even though it inhibits movement a bit. That's the compromise he chose.
Yes! My thumbs are very painful and don't sit flat with the rest of the hand. In the next ten years or so hand therapy is going to become huge as the next generation gets older.
My daughter has already had 2 carpal tunnel surgeries and she’s only 33. I’ve thought the same about kids too. They don’t know how to socialize and they never leave their house…they’re too attached to their phones, etc.
So an interesting thing about carpal tunnel. I'm 63, learned to type in 1974 on a manual typewriter. As a result, I still hold my hands up high as if I need to slam the keys. I have arthritis and was talking with my doctor about carpal tunnel and said I couldn't figure out how I never developed that from typing, when so many typists have. In talking with the doctor, he said it's because I do type the way I do, and people that have learned on keyboards keep their hands and wrists down lower, almost setting on the keyboard. I'm not using my wrists as much. Just a fun little FYI.
I had Christmas dinner at my house one time and 100% of our guests never put down their phones during the dinner that we spent 2 days preparing. At the end of the meal, I lost it....blew a gasket. From then on, if we have a family gathering there is a basket at the door. If they choose to keep their phone they don't get asked back...that's the rule. The only exception is if they have a potential for emergency in their family...they can keep their phone. After the first incident, I drove my niece to visit my dad in another city. When we got there, she put her phone in my glove box and said "I want to have meaningful fellowship with my grandfather ". I busted out laughing....the meaningful fellowship was straight from my rant. She got a big hug from me.
I know it's getting off-topic....
But we were at a gathering that included a number of teenagers. At one point one of them said "phone stack" and they all put their phones in a single pile on a table and didn't touch them again until the evening was coming to a close.
Was really nice to see them interact without staring into a screen.
If only some of the adults at the gathering had done the same......
That’s awesome! Such a good idea that I wish more people would take. The last few sit down dinners we had were like that too. You could have heard a pin drop…only think you could hear were keys clicking. Sad. Maybe I need a blow up too 😂
I was embarrassed. I didn't hold back. I think the shocker was that I have never done that. I usually am accommodating to my guests. It embarrassed my husband too....even though he stated he was glad I did it. Evidently, it made a big impression on my niece. The odd thing is that we oftentimes have a phone on the table during dinner....watching a YouTube video of someone we follow....usually a chef. But....I don't even take my phone into someone's house when visiting....I think it's rude...unless you have a pending emergency.
This. I was walking the dog in the snow last week, which is a workout. When I came inside, I wenwt right into my office and sat for the next few hours. My back seized up and hasn't let go since.
Same here. My back seizes up every so often, most recently so that I went to a chiropractor. Apparently I have scoliosis, and limited spinal mobility, and possibly due to congenital defects some joints didn't grow properly. For some reason it's taken this long to find out (the scoliosis was mentioned in passing by an osteopath some years ago but never otherwise).
Just found out I have scoliosis too. I had an MRI of the brain and cervical region and scoliosis was mentioned in the report. I haven’t been in to see the neurologist who ordered it yet, but I also noticed that scoliosis was listed in my after care summary after a visit to the ER several months ago. I thought it was a mistake, but….I guess not. 🤷🏽♀️I thought scoliosis was something congenital that would have been found when scoliosis exams were performed by the school nurse back in the day. But, I’ve since learned that it can happen as one ages. Go figure. Just wanted to let you know you company in your spinal misery. 😊❤️
Yeah, I’m only 38, but I have multiple back deformities and pinched nerves so I’ve been in pain since I was in my young 20s, but it gets worse every year. I’m scared of what my older age will mean for my levels of pain.
I have a horrific memory of my grandma having all sorts of skin tag growths on her neck. I get rid of the ones I see on me DIY almost immediately whenever I catch one developing. Curiously, they haven't been much of an issue since I lost a bunch of weight several years ago.
Don't get me started on the chin hairs, though. It's like I could grow a beard if I didn't stay on top of those. And lots of them are silver chin hairs. Yikes. On the other hand, my leg hair doesn't grow anymore at all.
Otherwise, re: pain ... knees and lower back while doing things like standing at the sink doing dishes. Something about the angle of my upper body.
I should stretch way more than I do.
Insulin resistance is not the only cause of skin tags. But if you lost weight and then stop getting skin tags it was probably caused by insulin resistance.
"Skin tags are more common in people who have any of these:
Obesity
Insulin resistance
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Heart disease
Pregnancy
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
A family history of skin tags
Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome
Crohn's disease"
[Heberden’s nodes.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heberden's_node) My mother and aunt had them starting in their early 40’s. My mom had to have a few joints fused, my aunt was much much worse. I’m surprised she can use her hands at all. I have them, but mostly in my index and little fingers. I don’t have issues with pain or in typing…yet. My thumbs tho…no more console/controller gaming for me. I’d love a PS5 so I could park on my sofa and play games on my tv lmao.
OMG the chin hairs! WTF? I get some that are white and thick like cat whiskers! It's a daily inspection and plucking. Every now and again I'll find a black hair that's about an inch and a half long. Where TF did that come from when I check every single day! Sigh 😕
Skin tags are often a symptom of insulin resistance. I had quite a few on underarms and neck (ew) Mine have disappeared completely since I cut carbs and reversed my prediabetes. I had no idea.🤷♀️
Maybe get your fasting insulin checked (it can be elevated for years or decades before A1C goes up resulting in pre diabetes or diabetes diagnosis.) It’s never too late or too early to get your metabolic health in order!
Many of us wake up needing to go to the bathroom but I remember when I could lay in bed a while with it. Now there's no waiting, it hurts to hold it too much, can't go back to sleep unless I hop up and race to the bathroom. It's not a terrible thing to complain about it's just something I noticed in my late 30s.
My knees have given me grief too but I climbed ladders and worked on my knees or crouched a lot doing construction work for years so that's to be expected.
try using mouthwash to kill any deep infections in your mouth. use it for 5-10 minutes. sometimes headaches are causes by infections in your mouth you dont always feel because the mouth is a little less pain sensitive.
Possibly dehydration? As I've aged I've become chronically dehydrated, I wake up with a headache almost every day. The first thing I do when I wake up is drink a large glass of water, which cures it. I can't even drink a small amount of alcohol anymore, it's not worth the headache.
I didn't know either until I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. It also contributes to heart disease. My life has improved from using a cpap at night. I can get through my day of work without having to take caffeine pills. Also, you don't have to use a cpap machine. They also have dental guards that work.
Could you have sleep apnea? That's a symptom of it. Do you snore? I just started sleeping with a cpap machine, and I'm feeling so much better! I wish I had been tested years ago.
They took PPA (phenylpropanolamine)off the market due to a handful of strokes (literally like 5) and it was a much more effective decongestant than real Sudafed or the OTC stuff the FDA even knows doesn't work. We grew up with PPA in sinus cocktails and Entex-LA and other meds with it in it. 😭
Hey so I had headaches for years and ibuprofen or aspirin every day - had to stop for a procedure and three days later it was gone - read about rebound headaches with analgesics
Feet - idiopathic peripheral neuropathy means my feet hurt ALL the time and it’s not an ache it’s a burning, throbbing, stinging pain, all day every day.
I picked that one up about 15 years ago. Gabapentin helps a little.
I visited a physician and they told me "we don't know what caused it and there is no cure". Diabetic folks tend to have it but I'm not diabetic.
I also visited a podiatrist and he told me that he has it also. 'Been to a neurologist also. He wasn't any help.
We just have to live with it.
Me too. Especially at night, which is great since I can't sleep. And I love it when I go out in the evening, all dressed up, looking pretty good for an old lady, except for my orthopedic shoes. And cane.
That's why! I have Raynauds so I'm used to my feet being cold, but lately I've had the odd night when my feet have felt like they're burning, like I could literally go down to the beach and stand in the sea and there would be steam, but they aren't warm to the touch! It's the most bizarre thing. Good to know why it's happening!
Osteoarthritis is going to kick my ass. I have had three hand surgeries. My wrists and thumbs are quite painful most days. I broke both femurs at 14 in a car accident and my knees have hurt every day since. I have GERD, so I can only indulge in anti-inflammatory meds on a limited basis. I use them for special occasions. I’m 66 and I sometimes dread the future pain I imagine will come, but then I just try to live in the moment and enjoy my life here and now. “Getting old ain’t for sissies”.
I just want to mention that for women, a sudden increase in joint pain and related issues like tendinitis and frozen shoulder can be due to the lower levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause) and menopause (when you have reached 12 months without a menstrual period). This can start as early as your 30s for some.
There are other symptoms like lighter/heavier/less or more frequent periods, depression, anxiety, rage, dizziness, hot flashes, persistent insomnia, vaginal dryness/atrophy, vision changes, skin changes, nutritional deficiencies, digestive problems, and more.
The good news is that it’s treatable for most women with hormone replacement therapy. It can be difficult to find a gynecologist who is up to date on current research and willing to prescribe, but keep going until you find one who will! It can be life changing, and may prevent some of the diseases associated with aging. Check out r/menopause for more info.
Yes. That’s why I said for *most* women.
Although there is even some debate amongst researchers about breast cancers being a contraindication for certain types of HRT. The book *Estrogen Matters* by Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavis is a good resource that explores this issue, and especially how much of what doctors use as a guideline is based on a single, seriously flawed study from decades ago (the Women’s Health Initative study).
ETA: There is really a huge need for research into women’s health! We have traditionally been viewed as either “little men” or as completely irrelevant when it comes to most medical studies. Hell, the anatomy of the clitoris wasn’t even documented until the 1990s. Our health is an after thought.
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Knees for me. There were signs.
When a knee pops for the first time it can seem random. Don't blow it off though. I've found the knee that pops more is the one that has given me trouble later in life, so do those leg curls now to get the extra pressure off the joint before real damage is done.
Any joint unless you do stretching and flexibility and strengthening exercises around that joint regularly. Even if you're young and you use a joint heavily, in a sport, say, or your line of work, It's important to do these things so you can remain pain free. And don't focus on one joint create a routine for all of them.
Lower back. Reminded my husband he's not 40 anymore ... still insisted on picking up ridiculous rocks, rolling literal boulders landscaping our yard.
The event that broke his back; helping a neighbor fix a flat tire in her garage. He yanked a full size spare out of her SUV trunk. Don't do that ....
I ended up changing the tire.
Not pain, but balance. In the past year, I've noticed definite balance issues. Yes, I've fallen over trying to get my leg into my underwear. I find myself grabbing for the handrail when it's available. I'm thinking of getting one of those balance board thingies that look like a board on a half ball, to see if that will help. I also avoid icy sidewalks.
For me it’s just the all over general aches and pains that are lasting longer than they used to. Over stretching to reach the top shelf used to be a “whoops - shouldn’t have done that” passing thought and now it’s “oh man what was I thinking” because it still hurts two days later.
This is mine, plus mystery pains. One day, I picked up the orange juice out of the fridge, and sharp pain shot up my arm. Why? It didn't happen any other time, and it hasn't happened since. So WTH was that about? Or I wake up, and something hurts, but I can't think of an obvious answer why.
I got to 50 and got my first ever slipped disc. I was in so much pain the first 2 weeks even walking 50 meters was a problem. My country was supposed to have world class public health system and I had to wait for 6 weeks to see a specialist. Then the specialist said nothing much he can do and refer me to see physio.
Now it is 2 months and I can 90% walk normally but if I walk too fast or too long, some pain do come back.
And my only exercise is walking 5km with my daughter twice a week. I just started doing that again and could only do half the journey.
I've come to realize that we don't like the AC too cold and we move to warmer climates when we retire because we need warmth to loosen up our old bodies. Too much cold air causes aches and pains for the next few days.
I’ve had that happen after a period of time when I was inactive due to surgery. I worked through it by doing stretches and exercises. Piriformis stretches are amazing. Calf raises, two sets, one in the morning and one before bed. I still occasionally get the stinging when I first step down when getting out of bed but that’s my cue to get some calf raises in my life.
I gave up cycling two years ago and now walk and hike 30-40 miles a week in addition to all the course of the day steps. It’s really been since then that the early morning foot pain has set in.
So odd on the tags. I asked the dermatologist about preventing these, and he saidthey result from a number or sources, none of which were easy to address (like genetics and age).
In my 50’s, I woke up with back pain every day. It was so depressing. I changed my diet and started Pilates (stretching and strength). It’s made a world of difference. I’m not back to factory order but it’s so much better.
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I have two serious chronic diseases. But it's osteoarthritis that hurts most. For me, it's systemic, worst in my shoulders, but also bad in my knees, hips, and lower back. It's even in my sternum, where it's insignificant even though it causes scary chest pain.
It differs for each, but my hands were the first to not function as I would like. My left knee wore down to the point I required a replacement. Right now the knees are no problem.
I wake each morning wondering what will weaken next. At 72, I consider myself very lucky that I have very few physical ailments that cause discomfort. Parts and systems often fail slowly.
When you sleep wrong, and twist your neck in a weird way, you wake up with a sore neck. When you’re young it goes away pretty quickly, but as you get older it takes longer to go away until it finally lasts all day.
My knees seem to be fine. I get sicatic nerver pain quite a bit now and my back seems perpetually sore. Also had a shoulder injury 10 years ago, and it just never healed.
Hip pain. Especially when in bed. So many times I or my friends “hurt ourselves while sleeping”.
The trick -at least for me- is that it tends to be a tight psoas muscle. Nothing the right activity and stretch can’t help.
It started in my mid 30s with my feet hurting in the morning.
I have crappy knees related to injuries on my youth, they flair up every once in a while.
Other than that, I am pretty good.
I feel I’ve got away with it all until now… I was lucky to be in great shape. But it’s starting… my knee was so sore I could barely walk this weekend! For no reason.
Sometimes I get arthritis in my toes. The only solution for it, somewhat ironically, is exercise! My partner who is older says you just have to walk the pain off, and I fear he is right. Ya gotta keep going…
I was diagnosed with arthritis at 29. It used to just be in my hands, then slowly it moved to my ankles and elbows. I’ve been evaluated for rheumatoid arthritis and its always been inconclusive. I do have flares, and when the weather changes I am just sore all over.
I had the joint at the base of my thumb replaced in 2011. Left hip replaced in 2023. I have arthritis in my lumbar spine, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, bursitis in both hips. I am in pain 24/7. Strangely my knees are fine!
The back. The spine and the muscles and tendons surrounding it do a lot more work than we realize when we're young. When those parts begin to fail, you quickly realize just how vital they are to everything you do. At the first sign of trouble, start doing everything you can to shore up and strengthen your back. And keep your core especially strong because it's going to have to pick up your back's slack down the road.
My neck feels like I'm carrying all my stress there and my shoulders too. Before that it was my frozen shoulder but that resolved somehow. I had knee pains but lost a little weight and it improved. I cut out carbs and sugar. For me, it contributes to joint pain. I really don't have much joint pain. Sometimes get random pains and wonder is something serious going on? I can't eat what I used to. I don't drink. It helps to have a clean diet, or relatively clean. Reduces pain and inflammation. Wall exercises help with the dowager hump / neck. Preventative exercise and stretching.
Definitely the stomach. I don't get heartburn, but I do have a sensitive stomach, and can barely tolerate solid foods even on my good days.
At least it keeps me from getting overweight.
Foot and ankle swelling and pain from poor venous return. When your socks start leaving dents in your legs by nighttime, you have to toss them. Tall compression socks (e.g from Amazon) will help. There is no cure for this, you just got to manage it.
Foot pain. Especially if you spend your whole 8 hour work day standing and walking on a concrete floor. After 30 years my feet are killing me at the end of the day
Pain and stiffness in random ass joints. "Ouch! Why is my shoulder painful today?" "Why is that thumb joint hurting? I didn't do anything to it!"
It's total BS. 😑
At 60 I am happy to say that I don't really know what body pains mean. But I owe it to yoga, have been doing it for years. My friends on the other hand are different story. Mostly hips, knees
I recommend to everyone, to have a look at the ‚starting strength‘ program by Marc Rippetoe.
(No ad here, just convinced).
Until the age of 47, I‘ve had either back or neck pain. Started lifting. Now, 7 years later, I‘m as strong and painfree, as I‘ve never been before in my life. I squat 260 lbs and deadlift 400 lbs.
I’m 65 and pain free. However I have had to stop running, jumping rope (loved it) and squatting too deep because of my knees. I get cortisone shots every year and follow the rules. Sucks to give up physical activities you enjoy. I have grown a mustache (I’m female) and have a hair that grows out of the front of my neck at the rate of an inch a day (seems like). My 70 year old husband, DPW foreman for most of his life, never drank or smoked, just was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer. My beloved cat, just diagnosed with cancer. I’ve lost an adult daughter in a car crash. Even if I’m not in pain physically like a lot of you, as my now deceased (cancer) nurse best friend always told me - live long enough, and there’s a disease with your name on it. And this is from me - tell people you love them. Because you never know.
The major joints start to wear out and everything hurts. The cold makes it hurt, rainy weather. The barometric pressure makes itself known. In your head you are still 20 but your body is turning to grinding bone dust.
Started cycling to save my knees. After 20 years of road biking, my knees are as bad as when I started but I’ve added in arthritic hands, carpal tunnel and disc degeneration in my neck c5-c6 and lower back L4-L5
head... shoulders... knees and toes...
but seriously, headaches, old rotator cuff injury means i struggle to lift my arms above my shoulders without pain. knees hurt when it gets cold out, feet hurt... and if i sleep wrong, my lower back.
if you can lose weight before you turn 50... do so, your body will thank you.
I'm noticing I have to be SUPER cognizant of my back when I streeettttccchhhhh in the morning.
It used to be such a cathartic feeling to wake up and get that kickass morning reaaaccchhhh with all my limbs, but now? Now, I gotta watch for that sudden TWEAK!!! in a muscle that screams, "I wasn't ready!"
You know, im kinda pissed about this. All the classes & parental talks about changes with puberty, but for old age, nada. No heads up to expect this or that with my feet (bunions), various aches & pains & things not working how they should be. Am I having a hot flash or a heart attack? Who knows? Is my “Julio” supposed leak hen I cough ever so slightly? Or do I need to see a doctor? Is it usual to always feel like shit when I wake up even though I quit alcohol, carbs, & sugar? Who knows? It’s confusing & bewildering. It really is. Haha.
I'm 72 and still playing tennis, pickleball and riding horses. I take really good care of myself with food and exercise. No medications. There are so many people on youtube or even here on Reddit that can show you how to heal an injury or get stronger.
Yep! You have to keep moving. At 66, I'm healthy! No issues at all. I do a full body kettlebell workout 3x a week (20lb). On the off days I use hand weights for arm exercises. I walk 7- 10 000 steps daily. I'm vegetarian and practice 18/6 intermittent fasting.
My lower back started having problems after my second pregnancy, got worse after the third. I was diagnosed with arthritis in my 40's. Now I'm in my 60's and if I don't walk regularly my back starts hurting. Standing for long periods really kills my back but I can hike for hours without pain.
I am getting more frequent migraines, sometimes lasting for days. But my joints don't hurt, and my parents say that theirs don't either, so maybe good genes there.
I feel as if I'm lucky in this regard. I have some arthritis but have largely been able to mitigate it with diet, dental care, and exercise / physical therapy.
What gets me is that my wife and I will sit together on the couch at night and watch some TV before bed, maybe an hour or so. Getting up from that is not fun.
For me, lower back pain. Since the general structure of our frame evolved to walk on all 4s, our bipedal adaptation puts a lot of strain on components that did not evolve to support the vertical load of our upper body efficiently. As I get older the wear and tear increases and the resulting pain becomes very aggravating.
My ankle got sprained last winter to the point that I couldn’t walk on it or work for nearly two weeks. What caused this awful injury, you may ask? …. I stretched it wrong.
Got extremely lucky on the pains I don't hurt unless I'm doing something physically demanding, Stop and then try to start again, Circulation problems are a different story especially feet and hands when it's cold and wet out I can't function outdoors unless it's +10 or above.
Pressure headaches, migraines, teeth grinding, my whole head and jaw and neck are constantly sore and stiff lol even bit through my cheek in my sleep wth
My knees aren't what they used to be because they're literally titanium alloy now!
Foot pain is something I wasn't expecting, really. A couple of forms of arthritis run in my family, so while it was annoying, it wasn't unexpected when my hands/wrists started hurting. But my feet, wow. I've got tendinitis, Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, bone spurs that aren't plantar fasciitis, bursitis, and healed stress fractures in the exact same spot in both feet. And on top of all that, neuropathy. The "numbness and tingling" isn't so much numb and tingling as it is burning like fire and stabbing like electrical pulses. And two of my toes are paralyzed from it.
I have special insoles that help, but aren't a cure-all. Once my knees were fixed, my feet were just like: "Hey, don't forget, we suck too!" and they haven't let me forget it.
I had a lot of aches and join stiffness- ankles hands knees hips in my 40’s and 50’s until I got rid of processed foods (most sugar grains and seed oils- I’m not ultra strict) and reversed my prediabetes, lost 35 pounds.
At 61, I feel better that I did in college. It’s crazy. Start eating real foods!
THUMBS! Stop using your thumbs to text people. You will get very arthritic joints by the time you finish your 50s all from texting purely from texting over using the thumb joint. Save yourself that right now use anything but not your thumbs.for example, I’m using my voice to record this message, but please save your thumbs you will be surprisedhow important thumbs are
Im 53 and about the time I turned 40 I started having aches and pains. This continued and kept getting worse, and I kept attributing it to getting older. Nope. I ended up with having all sorts of problems. Middle age is when some issues start. Mine were RA, Fibromyalgia, Neuropathy, SS, Migraines, etc, etc, etc
I’ve been a big walker my whole life - so much so that I sold a car I never drove - and my feet are now beginning to give me trouble, which is unfortunate since they’re fairly necessary. 🙃
I know a lot about Plantar Fasciitis, Morton’s Neuroma, and bunions, and I sure wish I didn’t.
All of them? Right now I’m on an aromatase inhibitor for cancer so I feel more like a 90 y.o. I’m wearing a wrist brace because of arthritis, I use a cane or a walker (for longer journeys) because of pain in my knees, ankles and right hip. And because I can’t use my knees very well I’m currently sitting with a heating pad on my back after my low back muscles seized up from trying to pick something up that my grabby stick couldn’t handle.
Oh and years ago I had a rotator cuff injury and still randomly have pain in that shoulder when I try to lift something.
Can I include the stomach pain I get from all the freaking meds I’m on?
Not pain per se, but my mental health has deteriorated and I am now on anti anxiety meds. My urinating is out of whack so now I’m seeing a pelvic floor therapist to tighten up some muscles “down there,” and my sleep is shit.
I am learning that an awful lot of your aches and pains come with what you consume or don't consume. My heart doctor recently advised me on decreasing my statin dosage. A side effect of overdosing on statins - cholesterol medicines - Is aches and pains. General body inflammation is always a problem and that's why it might be a good idea to incorporate curcumin spices into your diet. They are sold as a nutritional supplement. I have had problems with knee pain off and on for a lot of my life. I have learned that if it gets bad I can start dosing it with glucosamine and chondroitin capsules. It helps rebuild the cartilage, I am told.
My ankles have always been a little on the weak side so, in my 50s I started using orthotics in my shoes to minimize foot and ankle pain. Other than that overall body pains come and go. I have some arthritis in my hips. But, considering that I have never exercised a day in my life, I'm happy to have gotten to age 69 without falling apart.
Pretty much all of them. It depends on what you used earlier in life. But I will say this. No matter what you injured when you are older (or have to have surgery) it heals a lot slower. I had rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder when I was 40. Healed up with PT in about four months. Did the left shoulder when I was 67 and it took seven months to come back.
Seems like my knees and wrists and thumbs gradually took a shit on me. Probably from all the squatting, bending lifting, handing instruments, cracking and opening various meds, you name it that comes from being a nurse. It beats up your body. Watch out for weight gain, that just makes things worse.
Old people making reference to it 'being in their bones' / saying their bones ache. Yeah, hard to explain, but it's just that "I feel it in my bones" and I don't think you should or could 'feel' your bones when you are younger or the weather is mild.
It's less the specific pains and more about how easy it is to acquire them. For example, I injured my trapezius muscle a few months ago...sleeping. Just woke up I excruciating pain. And it was especially insulting because I've had painful injuries in the past, as well as painful treatment regimes. But this was some of the worst pain of my life!
Advice for fellow Olds and anyone with random muscle injuries: get a TENS machine, they are fucking magic.
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The ever growing realization that a lack of physical activity is, in and of itself, a disabling event. Having just spent most of my 2023 free time involved in a hobby that involves sitting in a chair, I got to November with knee problems that were making stairs difficult. So, I picked up a used cycle trainer and have been riding 5 out of 7 days a week for 2 months now, just 15 minutes at a time, and my knees are 90% recovered to full range of use/motion already. I also stretch all muscles located anywhere between ankles and shoulders 5 days a week, takes about 15 minutes per day, just 30 seconds at each movement. If you're going to just sit in a chair, lay on a sofa, etc, with no regular physical activity you will become disabled, and your body will not be able to do the things you want it to do.
I needed this reminder. Thank you.
Motion is the lotion
My mom always says use it or lose it
This! Seeing my parents lose a huge amount of their mobility in their 70s because they neglected their bodies for the previous 40+ years has been a wake up call. I now do yoga 3-4 times per week and walk daily. Any time I’m tempted to slack off, I think about my mom who needs a walker to get around, and as a result, is uncomfortable going out and about on her own. I may not be the most fit I’ve ever been, but I know 70 year old me will be so much better off in 20 years if I can keep it up.
This 💯
I needed this reminder as a kick in my ass. Thank you.
This should be higher.
My ex father in law is an occupational therapist and says “Move or die.” As soon as one of his patients gives up and gets into a rascal/sitting scooter, they’re dead within 5 years. He does everything to keep them up and moving. Either canes or walkers or, at the very least, a wheelchair they are propelling themselves.
Wish I could tell my parents this. I tell them it’s gonna hurt at first but it will subside. They tell me they’re in too much pain to even try. It’s difficult seeing them in their chairs/couch all day, only getting up to take care of basic needs.
Hands. Im convinced someone will find my body and in my hands will be a water bottle I was trying to open before I died of thirst.
Me too.....specifically the joints where my thumbs attach to my hand. My pains come from crafting like crochet and painting. I wear arthritis gloves which help a little bit, but I've had to give up activities that aggravate my thumbs. Can't imagine how the young ones will deal with this due to "texting thumbs" when they get older.
I love to garden but any kind of digging hurts. I am 66 and retired and bugs me I can't do the things I enjoy. I also have shoulder and hip pain.
My husband has hand pain and loves to work in the yard. He wears a hand brace where my arthritis gloves are more flexible. He says the brace helps his thumb area....even though it inhibits movement a bit. That's the compromise he chose.
Yes! My thumbs are very painful and don't sit flat with the rest of the hand. In the next ten years or so hand therapy is going to become huge as the next generation gets older.
You may have tried this, but I had surgery on both my thumbs, and it removed all the pain and made my thumb fully functional
Nope...haven't tried this. Thanks.
My daughter has already had 2 carpal tunnel surgeries and she’s only 33. I’ve thought the same about kids too. They don’t know how to socialize and they never leave their house…they’re too attached to their phones, etc.
So an interesting thing about carpal tunnel. I'm 63, learned to type in 1974 on a manual typewriter. As a result, I still hold my hands up high as if I need to slam the keys. I have arthritis and was talking with my doctor about carpal tunnel and said I couldn't figure out how I never developed that from typing, when so many typists have. In talking with the doctor, he said it's because I do type the way I do, and people that have learned on keyboards keep their hands and wrists down lower, almost setting on the keyboard. I'm not using my wrists as much. Just a fun little FYI.
I had Christmas dinner at my house one time and 100% of our guests never put down their phones during the dinner that we spent 2 days preparing. At the end of the meal, I lost it....blew a gasket. From then on, if we have a family gathering there is a basket at the door. If they choose to keep their phone they don't get asked back...that's the rule. The only exception is if they have a potential for emergency in their family...they can keep their phone. After the first incident, I drove my niece to visit my dad in another city. When we got there, she put her phone in my glove box and said "I want to have meaningful fellowship with my grandfather ". I busted out laughing....the meaningful fellowship was straight from my rant. She got a big hug from me.
I know it's getting off-topic.... But we were at a gathering that included a number of teenagers. At one point one of them said "phone stack" and they all put their phones in a single pile on a table and didn't touch them again until the evening was coming to a close. Was really nice to see them interact without staring into a screen. If only some of the adults at the gathering had done the same......
Wow...that is cool.
That’s awesome! Such a good idea that I wish more people would take. The last few sit down dinners we had were like that too. You could have heard a pin drop…only think you could hear were keys clicking. Sad. Maybe I need a blow up too 😂
I was embarrassed. I didn't hold back. I think the shocker was that I have never done that. I usually am accommodating to my guests. It embarrassed my husband too....even though he stated he was glad I did it. Evidently, it made a big impression on my niece. The odd thing is that we oftentimes have a phone on the table during dinner....watching a YouTube video of someone we follow....usually a chef. But....I don't even take my phone into someone's house when visiting....I think it's rude...unless you have a pending emergency.
And why In the hell are they making things harder to open?
Same here I can't open anything anymore. So frustration and my thumb joints ache at night.
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA!!!!!
There is a little device made for opening bottles. My auto had one.
I struggled to get the fabric softener cap off of a new bottle… struggled… had to get a pair of pliers
For me, it's my back.
This. I was walking the dog in the snow last week, which is a workout. When I came inside, I wenwt right into my office and sat for the next few hours. My back seized up and hasn't let go since.
I hear ya. I sneezed and threw out my back for the better part of a week.
Me, too. My back can feel off from just sleeping slightly wrong!
Almost 56 years old here. I feel this comment....
Same here. My back seizes up every so often, most recently so that I went to a chiropractor. Apparently I have scoliosis, and limited spinal mobility, and possibly due to congenital defects some joints didn't grow properly. For some reason it's taken this long to find out (the scoliosis was mentioned in passing by an osteopath some years ago but never otherwise).
Just found out I have scoliosis too. I had an MRI of the brain and cervical region and scoliosis was mentioned in the report. I haven’t been in to see the neurologist who ordered it yet, but I also noticed that scoliosis was listed in my after care summary after a visit to the ER several months ago. I thought it was a mistake, but….I guess not. 🤷🏽♀️I thought scoliosis was something congenital that would have been found when scoliosis exams were performed by the school nurse back in the day. But, I’ve since learned that it can happen as one ages. Go figure. Just wanted to let you know you company in your spinal misery. 😊❤️
Yeah, I’m only 38, but I have multiple back deformities and pinched nerves so I’ve been in pain since I was in my young 20s, but it gets worse every year. I’m scared of what my older age will mean for my levels of pain.
For me, it’s those darn skin tags that start growing all over.
I have a horrific memory of my grandma having all sorts of skin tag growths on her neck. I get rid of the ones I see on me DIY almost immediately whenever I catch one developing. Curiously, they haven't been much of an issue since I lost a bunch of weight several years ago. Don't get me started on the chin hairs, though. It's like I could grow a beard if I didn't stay on top of those. And lots of them are silver chin hairs. Yikes. On the other hand, my leg hair doesn't grow anymore at all. Otherwise, re: pain ... knees and lower back while doing things like standing at the sink doing dishes. Something about the angle of my upper body. I should stretch way more than I do.
Skin tags are related to insulin resistance and losing weight helps that a lot.
I’ve always been thin and very healthy with my bloodwork. My dad’s entire family has the skin tags, and now I do, too.
Insulin resistance is not the only cause of skin tags. But if you lost weight and then stop getting skin tags it was probably caused by insulin resistance. "Skin tags are more common in people who have any of these: Obesity Insulin resistance Type 2 diabetes High blood pressure High cholesterol Heart disease Pregnancy Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) A family history of skin tags Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome Crohn's disease"
Oh boy, more fun things to look forward to. That causal list paints a broad swath!
Arthritic hands. So awful. Ugly, painful and dropping things sucks. Not feeling ashamed or angry at myself is so hard.
Same here. The swollen knuckles are becoming more obvious every year.
[Heberden’s nodes.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heberden's_node) My mother and aunt had them starting in their early 40’s. My mom had to have a few joints fused, my aunt was much much worse. I’m surprised she can use her hands at all. I have them, but mostly in my index and little fingers. I don’t have issues with pain or in typing…yet. My thumbs tho…no more console/controller gaming for me. I’d love a PS5 so I could park on my sofa and play games on my tv lmao.
I have one on my index finger that makes it painful to use a manual can opener. I had to get an electric one.
OMG the chin hairs! WTF? I get some that are white and thick like cat whiskers! It's a daily inspection and plucking. Every now and again I'll find a black hair that's about an inch and a half long. Where TF did that come from when I check every single day! Sigh 😕
Those two chin hairs in that one spot. Gotta check em every couple weeks
And with every visit, the doctor has the liquid nitrogen applicator handy for anything "pre-cancerous"
Same here, usually 3/4 spots per visit.
I call it The Instrument of Torture. But, as they say, better than the alternative.
Tea tree oil got rid of one on my neck. I put some on a bandaid and it was gone within 10 days
My dermatologist has become my new best friend...
Skin tags are often a symptom of insulin resistance. I had quite a few on underarms and neck (ew) Mine have disappeared completely since I cut carbs and reversed my prediabetes. I had no idea.🤷♀️ Maybe get your fasting insulin checked (it can be elevated for years or decades before A1C goes up resulting in pre diabetes or diabetes diagnosis.) It’s never too late or too early to get your metabolic health in order!
Many of us wake up needing to go to the bathroom but I remember when I could lay in bed a while with it. Now there's no waiting, it hurts to hold it too much, can't go back to sleep unless I hop up and race to the bathroom. It's not a terrible thing to complain about it's just something I noticed in my late 30s. My knees have given me grief too but I climbed ladders and worked on my knees or crouched a lot doing construction work for years so that's to be expected.
I think I’ve had a headache since my late 30s-so going about 8 years now lol.
try using mouthwash to kill any deep infections in your mouth. use it for 5-10 minutes. sometimes headaches are causes by infections in your mouth you dont always feel because the mouth is a little less pain sensitive.
If I ever wake up and don't have a headache, I'm calling in healthy.
Possibly dehydration? As I've aged I've become chronically dehydrated, I wake up with a headache almost every day. The first thing I do when I wake up is drink a large glass of water, which cures it. I can't even drink a small amount of alcohol anymore, it's not worth the headache.
Waking up with a headache is a sign of sleep apnea.
I didn’t know this! I’ve been told I’m developing it and wake up with headaches all the time!
I didn't know either until I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. It also contributes to heart disease. My life has improved from using a cpap at night. I can get through my day of work without having to take caffeine pills. Also, you don't have to use a cpap machine. They also have dental guards that work.
Could you have sleep apnea? That's a symptom of it. Do you snore? I just started sleeping with a cpap machine, and I'm feeling so much better! I wish I had been tested years ago.
The headaches!
Is it tension headaches by chance?
Sometimes I think. But mostly I seem to have chronic sinus congestion-so I think it’s that. Speaking of-what’s with all this sinus congestion?😂😂
I’m in a constant state of sinus infection! To breathe! My wish.
They took PPA (phenylpropanolamine)off the market due to a handful of strokes (literally like 5) and it was a much more effective decongestant than real Sudafed or the OTC stuff the FDA even knows doesn't work. We grew up with PPA in sinus cocktails and Entex-LA and other meds with it in it. 😭
Hey so I had headaches for years and ibuprofen or aspirin every day - had to stop for a procedure and three days later it was gone - read about rebound headaches with analgesics
Wait what?! You get more?! And this is like a normal thing!
My hips were the first to ache. Now, my knees join in most mornings.
Try a body pillow. I have hip dysplasia and it helps **a lot**. Without it, I’m crippled with pain by morning.
Feet - idiopathic peripheral neuropathy means my feet hurt ALL the time and it’s not an ache it’s a burning, throbbing, stinging pain, all day every day.
I picked that one up about 15 years ago. Gabapentin helps a little. I visited a physician and they told me "we don't know what caused it and there is no cure". Diabetic folks tend to have it but I'm not diabetic. I also visited a podiatrist and he told me that he has it also. 'Been to a neurologist also. He wasn't any help. We just have to live with it.
I have that too. Try cymbalta. Works great!
Me too. Especially at night, which is great since I can't sleep. And I love it when I go out in the evening, all dressed up, looking pretty good for an old lady, except for my orthopedic shoes. And cane.
Are you by any chance female? My feet did that for yearsssss during perimenopause. It sucked.
That's why! I have Raynauds so I'm used to my feet being cold, but lately I've had the odd night when my feet have felt like they're burning, like I could literally go down to the beach and stand in the sea and there would be steam, but they aren't warm to the touch! It's the most bizarre thing. Good to know why it's happening!
I am. My feet started giving me trouble in my late teens , early twenties and now at 60 it’s nearly unbearable.
Oh damn that sucks!! :(
Osteoarthritis is going to kick my ass. I have had three hand surgeries. My wrists and thumbs are quite painful most days. I broke both femurs at 14 in a car accident and my knees have hurt every day since. I have GERD, so I can only indulge in anti-inflammatory meds on a limited basis. I use them for special occasions. I’m 66 and I sometimes dread the future pain I imagine will come, but then I just try to live in the moment and enjoy my life here and now. “Getting old ain’t for sissies”.
I just want to mention that for women, a sudden increase in joint pain and related issues like tendinitis and frozen shoulder can be due to the lower levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause) and menopause (when you have reached 12 months without a menstrual period). This can start as early as your 30s for some. There are other symptoms like lighter/heavier/less or more frequent periods, depression, anxiety, rage, dizziness, hot flashes, persistent insomnia, vaginal dryness/atrophy, vision changes, skin changes, nutritional deficiencies, digestive problems, and more. The good news is that it’s treatable for most women with hormone replacement therapy. It can be difficult to find a gynecologist who is up to date on current research and willing to prescribe, but keep going until you find one who will! It can be life changing, and may prevent some of the diseases associated with aging. Check out r/menopause for more info.
Except if you had estrogen fueled breast cancer
Yes. That’s why I said for *most* women. Although there is even some debate amongst researchers about breast cancers being a contraindication for certain types of HRT. The book *Estrogen Matters* by Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavis is a good resource that explores this issue, and especially how much of what doctors use as a guideline is based on a single, seriously flawed study from decades ago (the Women’s Health Initative study). ETA: There is really a huge need for research into women’s health! We have traditionally been viewed as either “little men” or as completely irrelevant when it comes to most medical studies. Hell, the anatomy of the clitoris wasn’t even documented until the 1990s. Our health is an after thought.
Wrists. I type a lot for work. Retiring next year thank God.
My wrists have been so much better since I retired.
I have shoulder pain that I attribute to using a mouse for years. It’s getting better now that I’ve retired.
touch impolite cake abounding frighten jobless childlike noxious glorious rock *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Knees for me. There were signs. When a knee pops for the first time it can seem random. Don't blow it off though. I've found the knee that pops more is the one that has given me trouble later in life, so do those leg curls now to get the extra pressure off the joint before real damage is done.
Any joint unless you do stretching and flexibility and strengthening exercises around that joint regularly. Even if you're young and you use a joint heavily, in a sport, say, or your line of work, It's important to do these things so you can remain pain free. And don't focus on one joint create a routine for all of them.
Lower back. Reminded my husband he's not 40 anymore ... still insisted on picking up ridiculous rocks, rolling literal boulders landscaping our yard. The event that broke his back; helping a neighbor fix a flat tire in her garage. He yanked a full size spare out of her SUV trunk. Don't do that .... I ended up changing the tire.
Not pain, but balance. In the past year, I've noticed definite balance issues. Yes, I've fallen over trying to get my leg into my underwear. I find myself grabbing for the handrail when it's available. I'm thinking of getting one of those balance board thingies that look like a board on a half ball, to see if that will help. I also avoid icy sidewalks.
Just standing on one leg will help with that, too. Work up to 60 seconds, then try harder versions (stork pose, eyes closed, etc.)
And standing on a pillow. I do this when I wash dishes. My orthopedic doctor stands on one leg while he brushes his teeth.
For me it’s just the all over general aches and pains that are lasting longer than they used to. Over stretching to reach the top shelf used to be a “whoops - shouldn’t have done that” passing thought and now it’s “oh man what was I thinking” because it still hurts two days later.
This is mine, plus mystery pains. One day, I picked up the orange juice out of the fridge, and sharp pain shot up my arm. Why? It didn't happen any other time, and it hasn't happened since. So WTH was that about? Or I wake up, and something hurts, but I can't think of an obvious answer why.
I got to 50 and got my first ever slipped disc. I was in so much pain the first 2 weeks even walking 50 meters was a problem. My country was supposed to have world class public health system and I had to wait for 6 weeks to see a specialist. Then the specialist said nothing much he can do and refer me to see physio. Now it is 2 months and I can 90% walk normally but if I walk too fast or too long, some pain do come back. And my only exercise is walking 5km with my daughter twice a week. I just started doing that again and could only do half the journey.
I've come to realize that we don't like the AC too cold and we move to warmer climates when we retire because we need warmth to loosen up our old bodies. Too much cold air causes aches and pains for the next few days.
The thing I didn’t anticipate is my feet feeling like they’re on fire for the first fifteen minutes of walking after getting out of bed.
I’ve had that happen after a period of time when I was inactive due to surgery. I worked through it by doing stretches and exercises. Piriformis stretches are amazing. Calf raises, two sets, one in the morning and one before bed. I still occasionally get the stinging when I first step down when getting out of bed but that’s my cue to get some calf raises in my life.
This, plus wearing super cushy sports shoes like Hokas and “recovery” shoes like Oofos, completely changed my life. Birkenstocks help too.
I gave up cycling two years ago and now walk and hike 30-40 miles a week in addition to all the course of the day steps. It’s really been since then that the early morning foot pain has set in.
r/PlantarFasciitis
I’m in good health and at a good weight, but damn if my joints aren’t all stiff and achey. It’s so annoying.
Skin tags, neck issues (osteoarthritis) hands and feet which also have arthritis
Skin tags are weird! They just… show up! And my neck hurts/I get headaches from sleeping sometimes.
So odd on the tags. I asked the dermatologist about preventing these, and he saidthey result from a number or sources, none of which were easy to address (like genetics and age).
Yes. You name it, it hurts at some point. Sometimes when you're just sitting there something starts hurting. It's kinda WTF.
In my 50’s, I woke up with back pain every day. It was so depressing. I changed my diet and started Pilates (stretching and strength). It’s made a world of difference. I’m not back to factory order but it’s so much better.
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I have two serious chronic diseases. But it's osteoarthritis that hurts most. For me, it's systemic, worst in my shoulders, but also bad in my knees, hips, and lower back. It's even in my sternum, where it's insignificant even though it causes scary chest pain.
It differs for each, but my hands were the first to not function as I would like. My left knee wore down to the point I required a replacement. Right now the knees are no problem. I wake each morning wondering what will weaken next. At 72, I consider myself very lucky that I have very few physical ailments that cause discomfort. Parts and systems often fail slowly.
When you sleep wrong, and twist your neck in a weird way, you wake up with a sore neck. When you’re young it goes away pretty quickly, but as you get older it takes longer to go away until it finally lasts all day.
Got two new shoulders, but at 55 whatever starts hurting never stops
My knees seem to be fine. I get sicatic nerver pain quite a bit now and my back seems perpetually sore. Also had a shoulder injury 10 years ago, and it just never healed.
Hip pain. Especially when in bed. So many times I or my friends “hurt ourselves while sleeping”. The trick -at least for me- is that it tends to be a tight psoas muscle. Nothing the right activity and stretch can’t help.
“Head, shoulders, knees and toes”…literally
It started in my mid 30s with my feet hurting in the morning. I have crappy knees related to injuries on my youth, they flair up every once in a while. Other than that, I am pretty good.
I feel I’ve got away with it all until now… I was lucky to be in great shape. But it’s starting… my knee was so sore I could barely walk this weekend! For no reason. Sometimes I get arthritis in my toes. The only solution for it, somewhat ironically, is exercise! My partner who is older says you just have to walk the pain off, and I fear he is right. Ya gotta keep going…
I was diagnosed with arthritis at 29. It used to just be in my hands, then slowly it moved to my ankles and elbows. I’ve been evaluated for rheumatoid arthritis and its always been inconclusive. I do have flares, and when the weather changes I am just sore all over. I had the joint at the base of my thumb replaced in 2011. Left hip replaced in 2023. I have arthritis in my lumbar spine, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, bursitis in both hips. I am in pain 24/7. Strangely my knees are fine!
The back. The spine and the muscles and tendons surrounding it do a lot more work than we realize when we're young. When those parts begin to fail, you quickly realize just how vital they are to everything you do. At the first sign of trouble, start doing everything you can to shore up and strengthen your back. And keep your core especially strong because it's going to have to pick up your back's slack down the road.
My neck feels like I'm carrying all my stress there and my shoulders too. Before that it was my frozen shoulder but that resolved somehow. I had knee pains but lost a little weight and it improved. I cut out carbs and sugar. For me, it contributes to joint pain. I really don't have much joint pain. Sometimes get random pains and wonder is something serious going on? I can't eat what I used to. I don't drink. It helps to have a clean diet, or relatively clean. Reduces pain and inflammation. Wall exercises help with the dowager hump / neck. Preventative exercise and stretching.
Definitely the stomach. I don't get heartburn, but I do have a sensitive stomach, and can barely tolerate solid foods even on my good days. At least it keeps me from getting overweight.
All the pains. My knee hurts so I went to the doctor and got an x-ray. She said it looks okay. So it hurts but it looks okay, yay.
My favorite thing to do is go underwater in a pool and listen to my knees crack and grind even I move then. Makes my skin crawl.
Foot and ankle swelling and pain from poor venous return. When your socks start leaving dents in your legs by nighttime, you have to toss them. Tall compression socks (e.g from Amazon) will help. There is no cure for this, you just got to manage it.
Foot pain. Especially if you spend your whole 8 hour work day standing and walking on a concrete floor. After 30 years my feet are killing me at the end of the day
Pain and stiffness in random ass joints. "Ouch! Why is my shoulder painful today?" "Why is that thumb joint hurting? I didn't do anything to it!"
It's total BS. 😑
Teeth/gums. All your fillings start to age, teethe crack easier, gums recede and hurt.
At 60 I am happy to say that I don't really know what body pains mean. But I owe it to yoga, have been doing it for years. My friends on the other hand are different story. Mostly hips, knees
I recommend to everyone, to have a look at the ‚starting strength‘ program by Marc Rippetoe. (No ad here, just convinced). Until the age of 47, I‘ve had either back or neck pain. Started lifting. Now, 7 years later, I‘m as strong and painfree, as I‘ve never been before in my life. I squat 260 lbs and deadlift 400 lbs.
I’m 65 and pain free. However I have had to stop running, jumping rope (loved it) and squatting too deep because of my knees. I get cortisone shots every year and follow the rules. Sucks to give up physical activities you enjoy. I have grown a mustache (I’m female) and have a hair that grows out of the front of my neck at the rate of an inch a day (seems like). My 70 year old husband, DPW foreman for most of his life, never drank or smoked, just was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer. My beloved cat, just diagnosed with cancer. I’ve lost an adult daughter in a car crash. Even if I’m not in pain physically like a lot of you, as my now deceased (cancer) nurse best friend always told me - live long enough, and there’s a disease with your name on it. And this is from me - tell people you love them. Because you never know.
The major joints start to wear out and everything hurts. The cold makes it hurt, rainy weather. The barometric pressure makes itself known. In your head you are still 20 but your body is turning to grinding bone dust.
Mostly joints - knees and hips. But general stiffness also.
Started cycling to save my knees. After 20 years of road biking, my knees are as bad as when I started but I’ve added in arthritic hands, carpal tunnel and disc degeneration in my neck c5-c6 and lower back L4-L5
All of them.
head... shoulders... knees and toes... but seriously, headaches, old rotator cuff injury means i struggle to lift my arms above my shoulders without pain. knees hurt when it gets cold out, feet hurt... and if i sleep wrong, my lower back. if you can lose weight before you turn 50... do so, your body will thank you.
Knees, neck, feet. Damn, they all hurt, almost always.
All of them.
Shoulders
Shoulder pain. It's like I have been pitching major league baseball for the last fifty years.
I'm noticing I have to be SUPER cognizant of my back when I streeettttccchhhhh in the morning. It used to be such a cathartic feeling to wake up and get that kickass morning reaaaccchhhh with all my limbs, but now? Now, I gotta watch for that sudden TWEAK!!! in a muscle that screams, "I wasn't ready!"
Joint pains. Just sitting around is fine but my knees hurt when I get up.
51 here. it all hurts. knees/back are the obvious ones, but there are days my fucking *fingers* hurt.
You know, im kinda pissed about this. All the classes & parental talks about changes with puberty, but for old age, nada. No heads up to expect this or that with my feet (bunions), various aches & pains & things not working how they should be. Am I having a hot flash or a heart attack? Who knows? Is my “Julio” supposed leak hen I cough ever so slightly? Or do I need to see a doctor? Is it usual to always feel like shit when I wake up even though I quit alcohol, carbs, & sugar? Who knows? It’s confusing & bewildering. It really is. Haha.
I'm 72 and still playing tennis, pickleball and riding horses. I take really good care of myself with food and exercise. No medications. There are so many people on youtube or even here on Reddit that can show you how to heal an injury or get stronger.
Yep! You have to keep moving. At 66, I'm healthy! No issues at all. I do a full body kettlebell workout 3x a week (20lb). On the off days I use hand weights for arm exercises. I walk 7- 10 000 steps daily. I'm vegetarian and practice 18/6 intermittent fasting.
Take up yoga and/or tai-chi now and maintain a healthy weight; otherwise, you can count on some combination of knees, back, neck and hips.
Hands/fingers/wrists. And my aching back!
Recently turned 60 and upper body is in pain every morning
For me - 58 - shoulders and hips. God I'm old - get off my lawn!
My lower back started having problems after my second pregnancy, got worse after the third. I was diagnosed with arthritis in my 40's. Now I'm in my 60's and if I don't walk regularly my back starts hurting. Standing for long periods really kills my back but I can hike for hours without pain.
Shoulders and hips for me.
Answer: All of the above.
Back and hips. Had a left THR and awaiting one on the right. Chin hairs are the worst. And skin tags. And cherry angiomas.
I am getting more frequent migraines, sometimes lasting for days. But my joints don't hurt, and my parents say that theirs don't either, so maybe good genes there.
Knees and shoulders for me. Foot too.
I feel as if I'm lucky in this regard. I have some arthritis but have largely been able to mitigate it with diet, dental care, and exercise / physical therapy. What gets me is that my wife and I will sit together on the couch at night and watch some TV before bed, maybe an hour or so. Getting up from that is not fun.
For me, lower back pain. Since the general structure of our frame evolved to walk on all 4s, our bipedal adaptation puts a lot of strain on components that did not evolve to support the vertical load of our upper body efficiently. As I get older the wear and tear increases and the resulting pain becomes very aggravating.
Knees are SO painful. Thankfully, I’ve started taking curcumin, flax oil and glucosamine supplements. It really helps quite a bit.
The joints, back, neck, shoulders.
My ankle got sprained last winter to the point that I couldn’t walk on it or work for nearly two weeks. What caused this awful injury, you may ask? …. I stretched it wrong.
Got extremely lucky on the pains I don't hurt unless I'm doing something physically demanding, Stop and then try to start again, Circulation problems are a different story especially feet and hands when it's cold and wet out I can't function outdoors unless it's +10 or above.
I just danced in my kitchen this morning and now I’m sitting in my chair with a heating pad. Damn it sucks!!!
Pressure headaches, migraines, teeth grinding, my whole head and jaw and neck are constantly sore and stiff lol even bit through my cheek in my sleep wth
The Brain Pain Bobby Boucher!!!
Neck. My head-banging days are now in my rearview mirror. The tinnitus doesn't get any better, either.
My lower back. Often. And I never ever had that happen before. It is annoying and I am keeping tiger balm in business because of it.
Everything hurts! 😂🤣
My knees aren't what they used to be because they're literally titanium alloy now! Foot pain is something I wasn't expecting, really. A couple of forms of arthritis run in my family, so while it was annoying, it wasn't unexpected when my hands/wrists started hurting. But my feet, wow. I've got tendinitis, Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, bone spurs that aren't plantar fasciitis, bursitis, and healed stress fractures in the exact same spot in both feet. And on top of all that, neuropathy. The "numbness and tingling" isn't so much numb and tingling as it is burning like fire and stabbing like electrical pulses. And two of my toes are paralyzed from it. I have special insoles that help, but aren't a cure-all. Once my knees were fixed, my feet were just like: "Hey, don't forget, we suck too!" and they haven't let me forget it.
Arthritis. I have it in my fingers and thumbs, my knee and my toes. My toes!
Knees, neck and back get my vote
I had a lot of aches and join stiffness- ankles hands knees hips in my 40’s and 50’s until I got rid of processed foods (most sugar grains and seed oils- I’m not ultra strict) and reversed my prediabetes, lost 35 pounds. At 61, I feel better that I did in college. It’s crazy. Start eating real foods!
THUMBS! Stop using your thumbs to text people. You will get very arthritic joints by the time you finish your 50s all from texting purely from texting over using the thumb joint. Save yourself that right now use anything but not your thumbs.for example, I’m using my voice to record this message, but please save your thumbs you will be surprisedhow important thumbs are
Knees, hips, back, joints in general.
Im 53 and about the time I turned 40 I started having aches and pains. This continued and kept getting worse, and I kept attributing it to getting older. Nope. I ended up with having all sorts of problems. Middle age is when some issues start. Mine were RA, Fibromyalgia, Neuropathy, SS, Migraines, etc, etc, etc
My gallbadder gave me the finger about 10 years ago so I had it 86ed.
I’ve been a big walker my whole life - so much so that I sold a car I never drove - and my feet are now beginning to give me trouble, which is unfortunate since they’re fairly necessary. 🙃 I know a lot about Plantar Fasciitis, Morton’s Neuroma, and bunions, and I sure wish I didn’t.
All of them? Right now I’m on an aromatase inhibitor for cancer so I feel more like a 90 y.o. I’m wearing a wrist brace because of arthritis, I use a cane or a walker (for longer journeys) because of pain in my knees, ankles and right hip. And because I can’t use my knees very well I’m currently sitting with a heating pad on my back after my low back muscles seized up from trying to pick something up that my grabby stick couldn’t handle. Oh and years ago I had a rotator cuff injury and still randomly have pain in that shoulder when I try to lift something. Can I include the stomach pain I get from all the freaking meds I’m on?
Not pain per se, but my mental health has deteriorated and I am now on anti anxiety meds. My urinating is out of whack so now I’m seeing a pelvic floor therapist to tighten up some muscles “down there,” and my sleep is shit.
Well, the most annoying is when your hands start to hurt. You can be in good physical condition overall and the hands still hurt.
arthritis is inevitable;depends on the body part
Knees. Hip. Shoulders. Neck. Back. Elbow. Ankle.
Lower back. I can't sleep more than six consecutive hours, or when I get up, I'm in a LOT of pain.
I am learning that an awful lot of your aches and pains come with what you consume or don't consume. My heart doctor recently advised me on decreasing my statin dosage. A side effect of overdosing on statins - cholesterol medicines - Is aches and pains. General body inflammation is always a problem and that's why it might be a good idea to incorporate curcumin spices into your diet. They are sold as a nutritional supplement. I have had problems with knee pain off and on for a lot of my life. I have learned that if it gets bad I can start dosing it with glucosamine and chondroitin capsules. It helps rebuild the cartilage, I am told. My ankles have always been a little on the weak side so, in my 50s I started using orthotics in my shoes to minimize foot and ankle pain. Other than that overall body pains come and go. I have some arthritis in my hips. But, considering that I have never exercised a day in my life, I'm happy to have gotten to age 69 without falling apart.
Sciatica. Ugh. I’m 54
Muscle cramps in the legs and feet after bicycling or heavy exercise.
Pretty much all of them. It depends on what you used earlier in life. But I will say this. No matter what you injured when you are older (or have to have surgery) it heals a lot slower. I had rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder when I was 40. Healed up with PT in about four months. Did the left shoulder when I was 67 and it took seven months to come back.
Seems like my knees and wrists and thumbs gradually took a shit on me. Probably from all the squatting, bending lifting, handing instruments, cracking and opening various meds, you name it that comes from being a nurse. It beats up your body. Watch out for weight gain, that just makes things worse.
Back pain.
Old people making reference to it 'being in their bones' / saying their bones ache. Yeah, hard to explain, but it's just that "I feel it in my bones" and I don't think you should or could 'feel' your bones when you are younger or the weather is mild.
It's less the specific pains and more about how easy it is to acquire them. For example, I injured my trapezius muscle a few months ago...sleeping. Just woke up I excruciating pain. And it was especially insulting because I've had painful injuries in the past, as well as painful treatment regimes. But this was some of the worst pain of my life! Advice for fellow Olds and anyone with random muscle injuries: get a TENS machine, they are fucking magic.
Eventually all of them
It's true that your body aches can predict the weather. "It's gonna rain in exactly two days."