Pain Is Not an Inevitable Part of Aging

Weakened muscles, stiff joints, and pain are not an inevitable part of aging and I have the research to prove it.

I started to experience arthritis, bursitis, low back pain, and knee aches in my early 40s and considered it to be a normal part of aging. Likewise, many of my clients come to me having accepted a certain amount of pain that comes with getting older. 

Recently, I learned of two studies that contradict this bit of common wisdom, suggesting that we can maintain our vitality into our 70s and beyond.  Both studies show that not only can we prevent pain from weakened muscles and stiff joints, but that we can reverse these conditions in our older years.

In one study, active men in their 70s had better muscle function and energy production than inactive men in their 30s. The differences showed up in how far they could walk, their strength, and their general mobility.  The active participants weren’t extreme athletes either--they put in around 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.

Most exciting of all, even participants who began regular exercise later in life showed significant protection against further decline.  Our bodies remain responsive to activity at any age!

What about people who struggle to become active because of pain and immobility? The second study showed that stiffened tissues can be rejuvenated with the application of stretching and massage therapy.

Pain develops when we first become inactive for whatever reason—injury, surgery, or a prolonged period of immobility—and the connective tissue that surrounds and holds our muscles and organs in place (called fascia) conforms to these positions and movements becoming more stiff and fibrous.

Moving against the stiffened fascia is difficult and painful which causes us to stick with the dysfunctional positions or movements. This leads to the fascia becoming stiffer, which causes more pain when we move.

Researchers demonstrated that massage and stretching interrupted the pain cycle by remodeling the fascia and retraining muscles where fibrous connective tissue had developed.

That’s great news for those of us who are already “set” in our ways.  We don’t have to sit around bemoaning our fate, but can start to explore gentle stretching, possibly with the help of a physical therapist depending on the severity of the immobility. A nice massage would also help soften tissues! 

I see many clients who have resigned themselves to a “bad back”, achey hands, or weak knees because they know of no solution. The good news is that there are ways we can all start to feel better and start on the path to being free of pain.

Sources

1 “Impact of Physical Activity on Physical Function, Mitochondrial Energetics, ROS Production, and Calcium Handling Across the Adult Lifespan in Men”, https://Cell.com/cell-reports-medicine

2 “Manual therapy prevents onset of nociceptor activity, sensorimotor dysfunction, and neural fibrosis induced by a volitional repetitive task”, https://Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

3 “Downward Facing Rat? How Rat Yoga is unraveling the Mystery of Back Pain”, https://bwhclinicalandresearchnews.org/2017/09/08/downward-facing-rat-how-rat-yoga-is-unraveling-the-mystery-of-back-pain/

Getting a Good Night's Sleep with Valerian

I meet many people in my booth who are struggling with sleep, especially as we approach the winter months.  Getting to sleep and staying asleep is all about how we deal with stress in our waking lives, but there are herbal solutions that can help without becoming addictive.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is the go-to herb for sleep.  It contains gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), one of the main neurotransmitters responsible for sleep regulation, as well as valerenic acid and valerenol which act on GABA receptors in the body.  All of that means that valerian improves the quality of sleep as well as the ability to fall asleep.

 I make Peaceful Slumbers, an oil infused with valerian root, for topical use at bedtime. It helps relax the muscles and calm the nerves in a gentle way. I make it as a roll-on because the root of the plant has a skunky odor which you don’t want to get on your hands.

 Many of my customers report good results with Peaceful Slumbers, but there are those who need a little more help getting or staying asleep. In these cases, a valerian tea, tincture, or capsule is the way to go.   The tea usually combines valerian with other herbs to make it more palatable.  A tincture can be made at home or found in an herbal shop while capsules are usually found at a vitamin store.  Valerian is not addictive, so can be used indefinitely.

 Valerian is not for everyone.  It can have the opposite effect in about five percent of the population, causing agitation rather than relaxation. It can also interact with anti-anxiety or pain medications. Alternatives include passionflower, skullcap, and California poppy.

 If you’re looking for non-drug solutions for sleep, you can look to herbs to help in soothing the nervous system, flipping the switch so that you can feel less stress and get a good night’s rest.