In the final part in my series on common complaints in the active retired I'm focusing on one of the most common musculoskeletal problems affecting people as they age- osteoarthritis of the knees.

OA Knees
Our knees serve us tremendously well through our lives but not surprisingly by early retirement there may be signs of early wear and tear. Much of this is quite normal age-related change but it can be associated with pain, swelling, muscle weakness and difficulty performing everyday tasks such as gardening, walking and retired sports. 

Research evidence is clear that conservative treatment can be very effective in improving function and reducing symptoms The simple act of strengthening the quadriceps or thigh muscles requires some discipline in doing exercises but stronger thigh muscles are linked to significantly less symptoms and significantly greater ability to perform daily tasks.  Acupuncture can be a good adjunct to rehabilitation.

There is always the choice of a new knee joint but for many this is something to save as a last option, hopefully for many years to come. OA knees shouldn’t be a reason to stop people enjoying sports even as demanding as badminton, well into their sixties. Is it time to really focus on working on yours?

Having worked hard all your life you should be pleased to reach your retirement.  More than ever today's early retired enjoy very good health and retirement marks an opportunity for many adventures. Sadly our bodies are not infallible though and degenerative low back pain is the focus of the fourth part in this series.

Degenerative Changes in the Low Back
Our lower backs are load bearing structures. Some wear and tear is common but X-ray changes bear no significant relationship to how much bother you get from your back. 

What is important is how well the back works as a system and that’s about muscles, and joints, and movement control. Things can get tight and stiff and tissues become irritated; or sometimes the opposite, everything gets a bit looser and needs a bit more muscle support. 

Simple things such as getting fitter or stronger, general exercise such as circuit training classes have been shown to make a real difference to lots of everyday back pain. 

If exercising doesn’t work or you’re not sure this is right for you, a detailed and tailored physiotherapy program to match the type of back pain you are getting, can be the difference in keeping you active, happy, socially engaged and enjoying life more than ever.

Please do contact me to discuss further if you have any questions you'd like to ask.

The third in my series on problems the active retired face focuses on age related neck pains - cervical spondylosis, degenerative changes, wear and tear, facet joint changes, arthritis - many names get given by your doctor- but it's the pain & tightness that bothers you!

Know the feeling. A neck that’s got stiffer, sorer and generally bothersome. 

Know you’ll feel it when you’ve painted a wall, loaded the car, had to do lots of gardening. All things we’d love to be doing in our retirement and not helpful to feel like you’ve constantly got to avoid things, and retirement feels like a downhill road. It doesn’t have to be that way! 

Similar to the low back, X-ray findings commonly show some wear and tear but it ‘s how the spine functions mechanically that makes a difference to how much symptoms you get. Commonly the 5th and 6th bone in the neck wear the most. As well as the pain and muscle guarding, the lower neck joints and upper thoracic joints often get stiffer and stiffer. These poor mechanics are often the driver t to the symptoms. 

Exercises to keep the upper thoracic spine mobile are important to do. Swimming can help or hinder, especially breaststroke.The same goes for overhead racket sports. If you feel locked up in that area ,are being proactive, and still feel things aren’t loosening off then much more can be done in terms of manual treatment and specific exercises by a skilled physiotherapist.

More than ever today's early retired enjoy very good health and retirement marks an opportunity for many adventures. Commonly maintaining health and fitness, and the benefits of social participation in running clubs, walking clubs, badminton clubs, and golf clubs means so much to the weekly well-being and happiness of the active retired.

Sadly our bodies are not infallible and we all are more prone to the odd ache and pain with older tissues in our body. In the second part of a this series, we focus on an age old nuisance.

Tennis Elbow

Similar to the Achilles, our tendon can change in quality over time. Imagine the difference between a soft tender piece of fresh steak or an over-cooked piece of old goat! Both are meat but the quality of the tissue is quite different. Tissue changes can lead to irritation of where the tendon joins the elbow bone. This is commonly called tennis elbow and is typically triggered by lots of gripping, lifting and carrying activity. 

There’s no need to be stuck with it!  Specific graded strengthening exercises have been shown to make a long term difference to these symptoms. Other treatments such as acupuncture can also help. Stretches for these muscles are also good to do. One of the keys to avoiding this problem is that spring comes and suddenly we spend hours on end in the garden transforming our little piece of paradise for the year. 

So take it easy. Build up slowly and gradually. And hopefully you’ll avoid the tissues complaining of the sudden changes in demands put upon them. 

May your retirement be active, healthy and well.  Look after your body and it will serve you for years to come.  

Having worked hard all your life you should be pleased to reach your retirement. A chance to spend more time with those special to you, relax, and slow down a little, but above all else keep an active and rewarding life going. 

More than ever today's early retired enjoy very good health and retirement marks an opportunity for many adventures. Commonly maintaining health and fitness, and the benefits of social participation in running clubs, walking clubs, badminton clubs, and golf clubs means so much to the weekly wellbeing and happiness of the active retired.

Sadly our bodies are not infallible and we all are more prone to the odd ache and pain with older tissues in our body. So here’s a rundown of common fitness complaints for the retired along with simple answers on what can be done to help these problems. In the first part of a new series, we focus on Achilles Tendinosis.

Achilles Tendinosis
The active retired are in good company here. This condition is experienced both by young athletes performing high repetitive loading activities but also the middle aged to early retired as the quality of the tendon tissue changes, becomes less elastic and less effective as a spring like mechanism, which the tendon is designed to function as. 

If your tendon feels thickened tight and painful this may be happening. A good quality physiotherapy  assessment and a tailored rehab program can reap great results over just a few months. So often people put up this pain as if they are resigned to it for ever more and this is definitely not the case, so don’t let this hold you back this year.