The Most Common Aches & Pains at 50 and How to Manage Them
Aches and pains are normal for everyone at some point, especially as we get older. When we hit age 50, it’s not uncommon to start feeling those age-related pains when doing typical everyday activities like getting out of bed, in and out of a vehicle, bending over, carrying groceries, or recovering from exercises. This is related to joints become stiffer and as bone density decreases. More often than not, though, these aches and pains at age 50 are brought on by disuse rather than the actual aging process. If you’re unable to be as active as you’d like, read on — there are still plenty of ways to ease your aches and pains so you can enjoy an active lifestyle.
Lower Back Pain
Did you know about 80% of adults experience lower back pain at some point? Chances are if you’re 50 or older, you’ve already dealt with these pains creeping into your everyday routine. As we age, the loss of flexibility and bone strength can play an even bigger role in back pain. A weak back and core are often big factors in lower back pain — but frustratingly, if your back hurts, you’re not likely to want to get out and move to strengthen your muscles and improve flexibility.
How to manage it
Soothing lower back pain is possible with the help of heat and cooling therapy. Strive offers an adjustable support wrap that helps activate your body’s natural healing process through compression, heat, and cooling technology. You can enjoy either a hot or cold temperature for the recommended 20 minutes of therapy to boost healing. This wrap is ready to go while staying active or while staying active for active recovery.
Here are a few other popular methods of healing to try out:
- Warm Epsom salt bath
- Deep tissue massage
- Full-body stretches
- As much low-impact activity as your body allows!
Carpal Tunnel (hand/thumb pain)
Carpal tunnel occurs when your median nerve becomes trapped, creating a burning or tingling sensation in your hand. This condition can be caused by a number of underlying conditions including diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, wrist fractures, and much more, but it can also be caused by simple overuse. While people of all ages can experience carpal tunnel, it tends to affect people 50 and older, especially those with underlying conditions that increase inflammation and apply pressure to the median nerve.
How to manage it
Minimizing stress on your hand and wrist is the first step to easing carpal tunnel. While nerve-related pain can take a long time to resolve, you can still be mindful of the patterns that cause discomfort to help alleviate the intensity of symptoms. Strive offers a wrap specifically designed to help relieve inflammation surrounding your wrist, which removes some of the pressure on your nerve and increases blood flow to the area using Far Infrared Therapy. This technology activates the body’s own healing power and accelerates recovery.
Other ways to relieve pain include:
- Heat and cold therapy
- Frequent breaks to rest hands
- Stretching, massaging, or foam rolling
- NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory drugs)
Osteoarthritis (joint pain and stiffness)
Osteoarthritis is an age-related condition that can set in as early as 50 — and it’s an extremely common issue among adults. So common, in fact, that 80% of adults age 55 and up show evidence of osteoarthritis (though not all experience symptoms). This condition causes joint pain and stiffness anywhere from the hands to the spine. Many people report issues in their knees and hips, which can slow down an active lifestyle.
How to manage it
While there isn’t a true cure for osteoarthritis, you can manage the pain in many ways. Support for aching joints is one effective measure to take, and Strive offers plenty of wraps that do just that. You can find support wraps for knees, elbows, wrists, and the lower back that will provide compression. Each wrap is adjustable and built for on-the-go activities to help keep you active and pain-free.
Supplement your wrap with a few other methods of easing aches and pains from osteoarthritis:
- Implement a balanced diet
- Exercise as much as you can
- Heat or cool your sore joints with wraps
- Apply topical pain medicines
Aches & Pains Don’t Have to Be the Norm at 50
Dealing with the aches and pains of age 50 can be disheartening at times, especially if your active lifestyle has been negatively impacted by the conditions above. The good news is that aches and pains don’t have to be the “new normal” of aging. With proper communication with your health care provider and the supplemental use of products like wraps, you can sustain a healthy and active lifestyle with reduced pain pain-free for years to come!
See how Strive Compression Wraps can help you here!
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