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You've spent the past few decades running, dunking and pedaling. You planned to spend the next few decades swinging, smashing and pivoting. Retirement? You thought you'd do a little bit of all those things, plus maybe hip-hop lessons and that cross-country trip on the Harley. But somewhere along the line, your hips (or knees or shoulders) started to ache. Then they began to hurt. Now you're so creaky that even a chop shop wouldn't take you.
It's the boomer conundrum: Act young longer, get old faster. "Baby-boomers are the first generation trying to stay active on an aging frame -- and they're challenging that frame," says Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, who coined the term boomeritis to describe the joint and muscle pain besetting the 42-to-60 age group. Musculoskeletal ailments account for 16% of health-care costs, or $254 billion annually. In 2004, nearly 700,000 people had a total hip or knee replacement, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Insurance companies pay up to about $30,000 for replacement surgery, which includes the surgeon's fee and hospital charges (see Who Pays the Bills for a rundown of typical benefits).
The 40+ Life | |||
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Who Pays the Bills | ||
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A Late Bloomer's Guide to Saving | ||
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Life-Changing Legacy | ||
But weekend warriors aren't waving the white flag yet. "Boomers have decided they do not have to live with a handicap," says Dr. Richard Berger, an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago. "They want to golf, play tennis and travel around the world." With new therapies and surgical techniques, they can do just that, says Berger.
Pills, shots, stretches
Cathe Friedrich, 42, may have been born at the tail end of the baby boom, but she got a jump on joint trouble. A fitness instructor who also makes exercise DVDs (www.cathe.com), she was demonstrating a kickboxing routine about a year ago when she felt a burning sensation in her knee. "Wrong kick, wrong way -- boom!" says Friedrich of Glassboro, N.J. She underwent surgery to remove scar tissue that had become inflamed through overuse. "It was silly of me to think I was Superwoman."
Indeed, the further you get past 40, the closer you get to the kryptonite. Overuse (say, acing a tennis ball a thousand or so times) triggers tendinitis, an inflammation of the tissue that connects bone to muscle. You also become prone to bursitis, an inflammation of the fluid-filled membranes that cushion joints.
Worse, as you age, your cartilage -- the rubbery material that allows the joints to move smoothly -- thins and dries out, causing the bones to rub together and creating the painful condition known as osteoarthritis.
But don't despair at the first twinge. Mild inflammations -- say, an aching knee -- respond to basic first aid: wrapping and elevating the affected joint, resting it for a few days, and applying ice to reduce swelling and heat to relieve stiffness. Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin and ibuprofen, tamp down pain. So do the topical analgesics Icy Hot, Bengay and Zostrix. Some studies suggest that the dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate also relieve pain.
But if the soreness persists or you experience weakness, you'll need to see a physician. You could start with a physiatrist, who prescribes medication and exercise and uses x-rays or ultrasound to guide pain-relieving injections. If necessary, the physiatrist refers the patient to a surgeon, says Dr. Todd Stitik, at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New JerseyÐNew Jersey Medical School.
Either specialist will likely prescribe a stronger NSAID. The first generation of such drugs may cause peptic bleeding and other serious side effects; newer NSAIDs, called COX-2 inhibitors, put you at lower risk for gastrointestinal problems but have been implicated in heart attack and stroke. Doctors usually prescribe a COX-2 inhibitor, such as Celebrex, for patients over 60, who are more prone to abdominal bleeding, says Stitik.
You also have to recondition the affected joint by stretching it. A physical therapist or an athletic trainer can design a regimen; their tools include moist heat packs, ultrasound for deep heating and electrical stimulation, all of which soothe pain and help tissue to heal.
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