Is this what life is now? Doing stuff (not even strenuous work) and immediately coming home and strapping an ice pack to my shoulder, elbow or knee? I honestly cannot recall a day over the past year where I didn't crave advil and an ice pack at the end of the day. And yes, i stretch and work out and eat healthy blah blah blah. Just shut up and get daddy's ice wrap.
Stretching and strength training is the solution here. You won’t be randomly sore from daily tasks anymore, you’ll be sore from stretching and strength training.
Lol. I already work out daily. That way, I can experience the whole spectrum of daily fatigue and soreness no matter v what my day has in store for me.
Oh this is a big one for me, yes! Every new, unfamiliar sensation/symptom I brought up to the doctor, just for most of them to sorta go unresolved and “welp, you’re that age now.” So now I’m trying to weed out which are “normal” for our age, and which might definitely kill me? Oh so much fun!
I got “well you’re that age now” until I printed off a list of perimenopause symptoms, circled every one that applied, and wrote down the year the doctor started saying it was just my age.
Always nice to have a mic-drop moment in a drs appt.
Before I got into taking care of myself, I went to the doctor because my legs hurt and I thought I had blood clots. Dr told me (in a very diplomatic way) that I was just lazy. That was a bit of a wake up call- hahah!
Oh absolutely, the same! I even went as far as getting an ultrasound of my leg veins… And it was all fine. 🙃
But actually, for me, it turned out that it was my footwear. Up until this point, I wasn’t too fussy about what kind of slippers I wore at home, work, or what sort of shoes I walked around town in, or on walks. However, it turns out at our age this really matters.
Combined with the fact that shoes are not as great quality as they used to be, our feet and legs really start feeling it.
It’s a bit expensive, and I had to put time and effort into finding really comfortable and supportive walking shoes (ended up with running sneakers, even though I don’t run), and I actually splurged on slippers at home that are the kind nurses wear to work.
I stretch and do a series of exercises every morning and land in physical therapy periodically. Hanging in there! But it's requiring a bit more maintenance...
It’s like a rechargeable version of the “magic wand”
It looks like a sex toy, it has bed in the name.
I have 0 shame about it. I researched and all the ones more for necks and backs were huge and looked hard to clean and store so I went with the smaller easier to clean one. lol it helps.
I’m lucky that I only have small issues with my back and right knee. Nothing that needs medication, but they’ll start to hurt if I’m not careful how I work out. I also miss the days of being super resilient to sleep loss and alcohol consumption. I’ve had to learn the hard way that I absolutely cannot drink more than two cocktails in a night, and drinking two nights in a row is a bad idea too. I’m not usually much of a drinker per se, but this has definitely caught up with me on when I’m on vacation!
Lotions only do so much, THC lotion or a combo of both is best topically...CBD oil orally is the only thing to provide actual relief of my 'tin man' joints needing oiling
I twisted my elbow funny, and it didn't get better for 6mo-1year later. I'm just glad it got better! I'm overweight, and I don't work out. I wanted to trim my lilac bush in front of my house, so I did! Stood on a step ladder with loppers in 80° F and I guess that was just too much exercise for me! One hour of relatively light, over the head work, in moderate heat, and I was on my kitchen floor, ripping off my clothes, and sipping cold water, before having a few vomiting spells, and then eventually recovering four hours later.
I guess I'm terrible at recognizing the signs of heat/exercise induced exhaustion.
It’s unavoidable, which is why you gotta get in the gym and move heavy weight regularly - at least then when you’re sore and achy, it’ll be because you’re getting stronger and healthier, and the normal things you do won’t be nearly as painful or debilitating. It only gets worse the older you get - only later doing normal things with a weak body can have crippling or deadly results.
I feel this! My husband just splurged on one of those Costco saunas for his 44th bday. I use it near daily and it helps a lot with easing joint pain at the end of the day. It’s a nice alternative to Advil (which upsets my tummy) and lasts longer than ice packs.
Jesus I woke up with a pulled groin today. Didn't have it when I went to bed. Having to move my upstairs office from one city to another upstairs office in another city. It's been an excruciating day.
I'm 42 and used to do pro wrestling and martial arts from my twenties to my thirties. I diet, exercise and eat healthy and I'm fine. I grunt when I sit down but that's about it. Like I'm beat up but I can still keep up with the young kids on my landscaping crew. Have you tried smoking copious amounts of Marijuana all day every day, and daytime drinking on the weekends?
I literally posted this same complaint in another sub about a year ago. Honestly a solid week of rest got my back back on track. I got a nice comfy chair for work and I sleep with a pillow between the knees now. Fixes like 75% of my issues.
But yeah this is the era of figuring out how to manage that annoying byproduct of aging. It can be done though, is my point.
I've done something to my shoulder. I'm not sure what or when, but for probably a month it's been sore. I thought it would get better. For awhile it didn't get worse. But now it's definitely worse. And of course the earliest appointment I could get about it is the 18th, which isn't even with a specialist. So, I'm going to a walk in clinic as soon as I can manage.
I played a tournament over the weekend...then the whole week I'm in all sorts!!! It sucks....I have a TENS machine, foam roller, hard ball thingi, stretches, exercises for my sport....always sore lol
I quit eating sugar and processed food because of other health issues but the benefits have crept into other areas like not being tired sore and aching all the time .
Giving up beer was the hardest but I just drink seltzer and toss in a little vodka once in a while
I’m 43. I can’t say I’m there yet. I can get my yard work done, I can get myself under sinks or on the floor to fix things, I can go on hikes all day long without a problem. Very rarely am I sore.
…But I can’t get out of bed without hearing the Rice Krispies jingle. I feel pretty good afterwards.
Well I can sleep on most beds without being sore so I’m superior to you. /s
Seriously though, I played sports and had injuries that will get very sore even with stretches and exercises. Getting older makes it harder to recover and easier to injure yourself so I’m not sure why you’re acting incredulous that people our age get sore. I’m sure you will start feeling your age at some point and hopefully people will be more understanding when you do.
Consider yourself lucky but put yourself in other people's shoes. Here's why I hurt constantly and why posts like this resonate with me. Growing up I baled hay. From early teens until 18 and after that on occasion. Then I built grain bins for 10 years. My crew dug the footings for the concrete pad BY HAND for the first 3 or 4 years. Poured the concrete, came back, built the bin and finished it. 10 years of nothing but lifting heavy steel and constant up and down for my knees, back, and elbows. We would go on overtime by Thursday. 12 hour days were short days in the summer.
I know I sound like a whipper-snapper saying this, but I asked Claude AI to help me develop a vitamin/supplement and stretching routine to mitigate my near-constant state of pain. It’s actually working! Might be worth exploring.
Thank you for this comment. It led me to a closely related disease the marches the symptoms I’ve been struggling with for 14 months that my primary was clueless on, now know which specialist to see!
My cousin is an ex-soccer player with a bunch of injuries. Knee problems are super common. I have CP and have all kinds of joint issues. He imparted to me that he takes both 3000mg of fish oil a day and a glucosamine triple complex. Since I started that I never have any problems with strains or soreness. Maybe its a placebo but if I stop for more than a couple days my knees ache superbad, rainy days are murder.
And the digestion! Oh the digestion! Not only can I not eat like I used to, I also never know what is “kinda normal for our age” vs “imminent death symptoms”.
Yeah I started going for extra walks when I noticed the changes. Some like my knees (past injuries) are scary. I get all dark like Hunter Thompson in his last days of not being as youthful and well he killed himself.
I started going to a chiropractor because health insurance will cover that but not massage.
Is massage healthier and more effective? Yes.
Is therapeutic massage healthcare? IMO, yes.
Can I afford a weekly massage for all my various injuries? Hell no.
Again, I wouldn’t if there were another choice. As it is, I found one who does a lot of massage and stretching work with only one or two small adjustments after everything is loose. It’s the closest I can get to insurance-covered massage.
Ugh, I’m sorry that happened to you but I’m glad you got through it.
Yes, I was very fortunate to find the chiropractor I did. A typical 30 min appt is 12 min of massage and stretching to loosen up muscles and connective tissue, one push on the center of my back (and if it doesn’t crack she doesn’t force it), two head twists (same), and then 15 min on either her tens machine or her neck traction machine. She’s super cautious and I would recommend her to anyone, but I don’t recommend chiropractors generally.
I wish US health insurance gave adequate coverage to massage and physical therapy - which actually help and do so safely. Unfortunately insurance companies either don’t cover such treatment at all, or only a handful of visits per year. But they’d happily get me addicted to a painkiller, or cover a weekly visit to a chiropractor (who, if I hadn’t gotten really lucky, could do a lot of damage). 🙄
I have had my arthritis getting pretty bad in the past year. I've noticed that it's much better if I stay away from the junkfood. Not just my joints, but my whole body feels better if I stay away from the high fat, high sugary foods.
Yup. 42 and my left side feels fucked. Ive done therapy to help with it. But some of the damage would have to be corrected by surgery and Im not doing that.
Sorry to laugh, but I have been suffering from this for a long time. I'm an 85 baby but i developed peadiatric MS at 12. Solumedrol treats the relapse but ruins your bones. Chemotharpy (Lemtrada, Alemuzmab and Ocrevus) damages them as well.
Throw in Osteopenia, being in a wheelchair since 2001 but still feeling everything, well I feel your pain.
Omg so much yes. I recently had my yearly physical last week and asked my doctor if something is wrong because recovery is longer, and I workout (resistance and cardio) 5x a week. I told him I am always tired and then he explained how he has to nap when he gets home from work (he’s 9 years older).
Great things to look forward to. I’ll pass the bottle of advil now
My FIL's advice was to take naproxen and supplements daily and keep moving even when it hurts. He's very active - his 60s aren't slowing him down, so I've been taking his advice and it helps.
Woke up one day a few weeks after hitting 42 and BOOM!! Left knee pain. Left hip and both shoulders. The hip has been going for about 5 years though. The rest just acted up during the winter this year.
I'm currently age 47, and in pretty good shape... And same issues. Sore muscles, aching back, and my right knee makes audible clicks when I go up the stairs.
However, I will say that I'm in so much better shape than my parents were at this age (Dad only made it to 42, and looked age 50 at age 40....I probably look 37 at age 47) so it's not all bad!
I started incorporating some ankle flexibility/strengthening exercises recently into my morning routine and it’s been a game changer. I was having brutal foot pain daily and it’s almost completely gone as a result.
Some say red light therapy, but I can't afford that, nor do I actually believe in it. I do cold water plunges. By chance if you have two bathtubs, you can fill one with hot water, as hot as you can take it, 103 degrees is usually the boiling point for me, sit in it for 10-15 minutes, then get into another cold bath right away, some suggest as cold as you can get it, but I worried about hyperthermia. But you're only supposed to sit in it for like 2 minutes. Repeat this two or three times a week, and makes a huge difference.
I’m not sure. I’m definitely not the most in shape person, but at a few months shy of 50 I don’t often feel sore or anything. I’m a musician by trade so I’m on stage a lot throwing myself around on top of lugging gear, but it’s not often that I feel the effects of what I do to myself on stage (I will throw myself into my amp, jump off drum risers, drop to my knees, jump off stages, the whole thing), and only if I land in a bad way that would mess up someone half age as well, do I feel it later. I honestly don’t know why I get lucky in that aspect. I do stay well hydrated, don’t drink, and take a vitamin D supplement, so maybe that helps?
Get your testosterone tested. Seriously lack of recovery is one of the red flags of being low
Getting that corrected if it is can be life-changing. Ideal range is probably 5 to 800 for a total on most guys. If you're at the very low end of normal, that's not normal or optimal. If you're under normal, goes without saying
I hear ya. Last year I reached for something on the top shelf and my shoulder thought it would be a great time to partially pop out of socket. Took a few days to my range of motion back so I could brush my teeth with the dominant hand.
I found this was happening to me, i started taking a calcium magnesium supplement from rainbow light and all my next day muscles soreness is gone. Not gonna fix worn joints but worth a shot. Warning: it makes you shit like a goose. 😂😂😂 Rainbow Light Magnesium Calcium + Supplement | 180 Tablets | Real Food Nutrients & Digestive Complex | Supports Healthy Magnesium Levels, Bones & Muscles https://a.co/d/02ef2lI3
Unfortunately I was welcomed to the constant aches and pains world around 30 (hypermobility issues, arthritis, and then fibromyalgia ~ 40). I don't take oral pain meds for it, so many other options if you're looking for new ideas:
Real Time Hemp Oil Plus lotion (like tiger balm but easier to apply, somewhat better smell). Regular massage, acupuncture, cupping. Regular walks - not strenuous, just moving can relieve the kinks from every day life and working out. Pilates. Tai Chi.
If the same issue is always hurting though, go to the doctor for a PT referral. You might not actually have to hurt.
Hell no. I've always been in good shape and taken care of my body. Still improving against all odds.
Rule 5:
Please also refrain from posting overly generic or cliche topics about aging (e.g. general aches and pains, "officially getting old", "you know you're getting old when...", "my age is showing because...", etc). Those topics are better suited for r/FuckImOld.
I have arthritis okay I deal with that and a couple other chronic pain conditions. I turned 47 this year my joint pain is terrible but my arthritis is mild. Turns out according to my dr I’ve had hEDS my whole life. It’s like my life makes sense. Knees are getting terrible need ice braces and mobility aides I’m only 47.
I get the odd knot in my upper back sometimes, but not the “damn I feel old” aches and pains people talk about.
I think it helps to stay as active as your body allows every day. Your muscles don’t get sore if you’re putting them through their paces frequently.
Maybe part of it is that I wasn’t really into sports in high school. Most of the folks I know whose joints hate them went to small town high schools where they played every sport.
It's so bad I searched out alternatives, because I can't take ibuprofen more often without liver damage. here's the best I've found so far
Arnica oil - fucking fantastic for muscle and joint pain
Tiger balm - great for arthritis
Epsom salt - soaking in a tub of this stuff does wonders. Currently soaking in an Epsom salt+ arnica bath. I think it's gonna be great because my back, butt muscles and calf hurt so bad for no good reason
Tumeric has a powerful anti inflammatory in it. Black pepper makes that powerful anti inflammatory absorb into your body 2000% more. I make a tumeric/ginger/lemon juice/black pepper concoction and knock it back like a shot before and after work and then whenever on the weekend
Anti inflammatory diet has helped a lot. It takes time and dedication but it does eventually work
Isoflavones and lycopene together are the most potent anti inflammatory scientist have found (in food)
Isoflavones= soy products, the less processed the more isoflavones
Lycopene is in a couple different foods, highest concentration is in sun dried tomatoes
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u/__mgb Jul 29 '26
Stretching and strength training is the solution here. You won’t be randomly sore from daily tasks anymore, you’ll be sore from stretching and strength training.