TENDONITIS
The phrase “the best defense is a good offense” doesn't just apply to the world of sports. Many people wake up with aches and pains every morning, but do very little about it for years. After all, it's just what happens when you age! It's unavoidable if you sit at a desk all day, or spend hours in the car! Many people present to the office because the minor aches and pains that they've had for as long as they can remember have only gotten worse. A tylenol here, an ibuprofen there; you just pushed on with your life until a serious injury occurred that forced you to go to the doctor. In many cases, surgery is necessary because the issue is no longer “minor aches and pains.” If only the problems were addressed years earlier – even in cases where surgery is not required, the path to recovery is much longer than it could have been.
For example, chronic tendinitis of the rotator cuff can often result in a torn rotator cuff over time, which will typically require surgery. Knee pain that causes an abnormality in gait can result in muscular imbalances that may also effect the hip and back. All of which could lead to chronic pain that may have been preventable if addressed early on. Moreover, failure to complete the appropriate physical therapy after surgery can result in chronic stiffness and lack of flexibility for years.
Being proactive and addressing these aches and pains before they become a major problem is an excellent approach in defending against chronic issues. This sentiment rings true for me as well. While I was in school to become a physician's assistant, I underwent a shoulder arthroscopy for chronic impingement. I neglected the appropriate physical therapy and mobility training after my surgery and I have noticed a decrease in flexibility, which I am just now beginning to address almost 6 years later.
Chalking these daily aches and pains up to “just getting old” isn't the best choice. Attacking your joint or muscle aches now, whether you are 25 or 65, can help prevent further issues later in life – when treatment and rehabilitation may be more serious, and more difficult, to complete. Physical therapy and flexibility training are excellent for strengthening weaknesses and correcting imbalances. Completing exercises like stretching and yoga are also excellent ways to prevent these chronic aches and imbalances. While not all conditions can be prevented this way, maintaining strength and flexibility throughout your lifetime will help to improve your overall function, and will help you lead a life with less chronic pain.
