Muscle Strain or Pain. “As you begin to age, your muscle fibers become less dense, which makes them less flexible and more prone to injury and soreness,” Clements says. That can raise the odds of having soreness after activities you used to do with no problem, like gardening or exercise.
Exercise every day. Try to meet the recommended guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, but build up gradually if you need to. Some good activities include aqua aerobics, cycling, brisk walking and dancing. Break up periods being sedentary by doing regular light activity.
One of the most common complaints with aging is osteoarthritis. It typically affects the hands, knees or hips. The onset of osteoarthritis is gradual and is usually experienced as a dull, achy pain, rather than sudden severe pains.
As our bodies age, our muscles and bones lose mass and density, putting us at greater risk for injury. A new study published this year demonstrates that older adults may also be more sensitive to pain, and that the pain persists for longer.
Many women experience joint and muscle pain and stiffness around the time of menopause - that they hadn't experienced before. Because there are estrogen receptors all over the body, including the joints, declining hormone levels can add to pain caused by inflammation, general wear and tear, and just plain aging.
Physical changes in older adults can influence the perception of pain. Recent research findings confirm that aging is associated with changes in the structure, function, and chemistry of the nervous system that directly impact the perception of pain.
As you age, the ligaments and tendons that hold your joints together become “stiff and leathery,” says Siegrist. At the same time, osteoarthritis can cause the cartilage in a joint to wear away. Both processes can lead to aching, soreness, and pain.
Common causes of pain in older people
arthritis (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis) fibromyalgia (a condition characterised by widespread pain and other symptoms) cancer. circulatory problems.
The most common causes of muscle aches and pains are: Injury or trauma, including sprains and strains. Overuse including using a muscle too much, too soon before warming up, or too often. Tension or stress.
The most common causes of muscle pain are tension, stress, overuse and minor injuries. This type of pain is usually limited to just a few muscles or a small part of your body. Muscle pain that is felt throughout your whole body is most often caused by an infection, such as the flu.
Rest and elevate the painful area. Alternate between ice packs to reduce inflammation and heat to improve blood flow. Soak in a warm bath with Epsom salts or take a warm shower. Take over-the-counter pain relievers (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen).
Non-Verbal Signs
Moaning, whimpering, or groaning. Restlessness or agitation. Appearing tense and uneasy, drawing legs up or kicking. Guarding a particular area of pain, or withdrawing from touch to the affected area.
Sitting for long periods of time can cause your blood flow to slow down which may lead to stiffness in your muscles. This is because your muscles need oxygen and nutrients to function properly.
If you feel like all of the muscles in your body hurt, that's a sign of infection or illness. Health conditions that cause whole body aches include flu, COVID-19, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune disorders.
What's happening. With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility — factors that can affect your coordination, stability and balance.
The main symptoms of fibromyalgia are: Chronic, widespread pain throughout the body or at multiple sites. Pain is often felt in the arms, legs, head, chest, abdomen, back, and buttocks. People often describe it as aching, burning, or throbbing.
What does fibromyalgia leg pain feel like? If you're suffering from fibromyalgia leg pain, you may experience throbbing, shooting, achy, or burning sensations in your legs. Often, you'll feel the pain at your fibro tender points, particularly inside of each knee and on the hip just behind your hipbone.
The discomfort from fibromyalgia may feel like burning, soreness, stiffness, aching, or gnawing pain, often times with sore spots in certain parts of your muscles. The pain may feel like arthritis. But it doesn't damage muscles or bones.
The forehead and fingertips are the most sensitive parts to pain, according to the first map created by scientists of how the ability to feel pain varies across the human body.
At some point in life, often in the 30's, the tell-tale signs of aging begin to be apparent. They can be seen in everything from our vital signs (like blood pressure) to our skin, to our bone and joints, to our cardiovascular, digestive, and nervous systems, and beyond. Some aging changes begin early in life.
Arthritis. This chronic disease is one of the most common age related conditions older adults experience. Arthritis causes joint pain and chronic inflammation.
Number 1: Hypertension (high blood pressure)