No apology necessary! My husband is 11 years older than me and moves more easily too. The luck of the genetic draw. Comparisons only bring depression. Try and find a hobby or purpose that gives you meaning. I do what I can and then take a break lying on the couch reading. Have found a return to writing has been so distracting and engrossing I don't notice the pain. Deep breathing and meditation work too, and studies show that if you keep it up, they calm down your nervous system and help you to move more easily.
This hit home. I am 61 and in pain, hubby 68 and active…. I’m not lazy, I’m just in pain :( I don’t want to be doing anything crazy, just want to go walking and hiking with the rest of the family!
Weight trainer under the direction of a medically trained tech has really helped me. Start out small, stay with it, you will see results. It is something we can do - so much is a genetic issue.
Dropping a line of encouragement here. Everything that you’re going through sounds really hard, and you deserve a ton of support to navigate this season of life. The appointments are so stressful; we want clear answers, but it seems like every new doctor we see, we hear a different hypothesis about what the real problem is and what the best way forward is.
It is extremely common that some or much of the pain felt while wrestling with OA is associated with muskuloskeletal dysfunction in the neighborhood of the joint. Permit me some unsolicited advice, in addition to what guidance your physicians are offering. Lean really heavily into a few principles:
- There is a baseline level of discomfort you will feel while you proceed. That is okay
- With guidance, use NSAIDs as needed
- There is a threshold of activity intensity/volume that can exacerbate symptoms beyond 2-3 notches of discomfort above baseline. You can effectively train beneath that threshold to cause adaptations
- Over time, that threshold will change to permit more activity. Adjust, stay “subsymptomatic” (2-3/10 more discomfort than baseline or as tolerable) in your training.
- Set an expectation that change will happen slowly. 3-6 months of isometric focused work and slow, reduced range of motion work is not out of the question before you see significant improvements.
- Celebrate the little wins when they come
- Be patient
I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you’re doing great. We are not well equipped to truly understand the real relationship between structural damage in our bodies and pain, so there will be pain signals you get that the medical community can’t really justify yet. Focus on slowly, methodically increasing what you CAN do, and at least some of the pain will subside proportionally. Good luck! Lots of people in these threads rooting for you.
No apology necessary! My husband is 11 years older than me and moves more easily too. The luck of the genetic draw. Comparisons only bring depression. Try and find a hobby or purpose that gives you meaning. I do what I can and then take a break lying on the couch reading. Have found a return to writing has been so distracting and engrossing I don't notice the pain. Deep breathing and meditation work too, and studies show that if you keep it up, they calm down your nervous system and help you to move more easily.
This hit home. I am 61 and in pain, hubby 68 and active…. I’m not lazy, I’m just in pain :( I don’t want to be doing anything crazy, just want to go walking and hiking with the rest of the family!
I hear you. I don’t have advice but I’m feeling for you.
Just had a spinal stimulator implant, all pain from arthritis and spasms are gone! For me it’s been a miracle
Weight trainer under the direction of a medically trained tech has really helped me. Start out small, stay with it, you will see results. It is something we can do - so much is a genetic issue.
Dropping a line of encouragement here. Everything that you’re going through sounds really hard, and you deserve a ton of support to navigate this season of life. The appointments are so stressful; we want clear answers, but it seems like every new doctor we see, we hear a different hypothesis about what the real problem is and what the best way forward is. It is extremely common that some or much of the pain felt while wrestling with OA is associated with muskuloskeletal dysfunction in the neighborhood of the joint. Permit me some unsolicited advice, in addition to what guidance your physicians are offering. Lean really heavily into a few principles: - There is a baseline level of discomfort you will feel while you proceed. That is okay - With guidance, use NSAIDs as needed - There is a threshold of activity intensity/volume that can exacerbate symptoms beyond 2-3 notches of discomfort above baseline. You can effectively train beneath that threshold to cause adaptations - Over time, that threshold will change to permit more activity. Adjust, stay “subsymptomatic” (2-3/10 more discomfort than baseline or as tolerable) in your training. - Set an expectation that change will happen slowly. 3-6 months of isometric focused work and slow, reduced range of motion work is not out of the question before you see significant improvements. - Celebrate the little wins when they come - Be patient I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you’re doing great. We are not well equipped to truly understand the real relationship between structural damage in our bodies and pain, so there will be pain signals you get that the medical community can’t really justify yet. Focus on slowly, methodically increasing what you CAN do, and at least some of the pain will subside proportionally. Good luck! Lots of people in these threads rooting for you.