At the age of 87, my grandmother broke her hip. She told the admitting clerk that she was 65, figuring that if there was an emergency, the house staff would treat her with more enthusiasm. Unfortunately, my grandmother was right on the mark. This attitude even finds its way into Medicare. As we age we need special care.
Arthritic pain is the most common problem that comes to mind.
I have already discussed back pain in another column. Many patients that I see are simply in need of a good physical conditioning program. Daily walks, swimming, gardening and, yes, aerobics are good for reducing pain. Unconditioned muscles allow joints to distort and hurt. Deconditioned weak muscles themselves cause pain.