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You can run, swim, pedal, paddle, and stretch, but you cannot hide; sooner or later, most of us will experience back pain. It's part of the inevitable course of aging, says Dr. Avrom Gart, Director of Pain Management and Rehabilitation at Cedars-Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders.

"A lot of us baby boomers are getting to the point where our bodies are beginning to age, and one day we do something like pick up a piece of paper off the floor, and we tear a disc, causing back pain," Gart says. Such injuries may baffle the victim who may feel the amount of pain and the cause of injury don't correlate. But there's more going on in our backs than we may realize.

"Two things are happening to our spines as we age. One, we lose water content in our cartilage, which leads to the discs in our back starting to fray and crack. That causes pain, because acids drip onto the spinal canal and irritate nerves. Also, our joints start to wear out, which also causes pain."

Back pain can be severe, even debilitating, but in time, most non-cancer-related back pain will go away, says Avrom, who suffered from a herniated disc for 20 years, until it finally healed. His experience led him to study medicine and focus on pain relief. He managed his own pain with aspirin and other over-the-counter remedies, and recommends the same conservative plan for many of his patients. "We can manage aging-related back pain with exercise, physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, even acupuncture," he says.

Putting Off the Pain
Although back pain may (or may not be) our destiny, there are things we can do to put it off longer. Gart recommends a regular exercise routine, such as walking, biking, or yoga to maintain a range of motion and stay limber longer. But exercise caution, too.

"Yoga is very healthy for the body. It takes the joints through a nice range of motion. If you suffer from back pain, look for a class specifically for back pain taught by a yogi who has studied kinesiology and has an understanding of the back," says Gart, who sees patients every month who have been injured by doing the wrong kinds of yoga for their backs. "There are certain yoga poses that need to be avoided in patients with back problems."

"Stay limber. Keep up a range of motion. Keep muscles in good condition. Avoid getting that midlife pooch, and lose that extra ten. Diet and regular exercise make all the difference. -- Dr. Gart's Prescription.

 

Gart also warns against trying new sports without first talking with a doctor. "A lot of people in midlife decide to take up something spur of the moment. Maybe their kid says, ‘Gee, Dad, go wakeboarding with me.' And then you can't move your neck. Bodies aren't as pliable as they used to be. When you're 20, it's hard to injure your body."

Moderate exercise can strengthen the muscles that support the back, and give our spines movement, which is especially good for baby boomers who spend an unprecedented amount of time in front of the computer — and have the pain to show for it. "Computer-related pain in the neck and shoulders; headache; and carpal tunnel are common," says Gart. "It's very important to have a good chair, good ergonomics, and to get up and stretch. If you are a couch potato and also sit in from of the computer, you're going to have pain."

So keep moving, but be careful, and pay attention to your body. If you have pain that persists for more than a week, or if you have any neurologic symptoms, such as numbness or weakness, visit your doctor, urges Gart. "The body tends to heal itself if we take care of it, and as we get older, we just have to take a little better care of ourselves and listen to our bodies a little better."

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