Getting Older Doesn't Have To Be "Painful"

(NAPSI)-These days, older Americans are on the go and are spending their retirement traveling, playing sports and volunteering. While some older adults are enjoying longer, healthier and more productive lives thanks to advances in medicine, countless others needlessly suffer in pain.

While pain is a common aspect of life for those 65 and older, it's not something that comes "naturally" with growing older and shouldn't be dismissed. There's often an underlying problem that should be addressed.

For instance, back injuries, headaches and arthritis are frequent causes of pain. With proper diagnosis and treatment, pain caused by these ailments can be effectively managed. Left untreated, pain can lead to problems sleeping, the loss of mobility--even anxiety or depression.

"Older adults should address pain with their health care professional--they shouldn't assume pain is just a natural part of aging--it may be a sign of a medical problem that can be managed," said Penney Cowan, founder of the American Chronic Pain Association. "Communicating effectively with your health care professional is the first step to proper diagnosis and treatment. Your health care professional can help develop a treatment plan that best fits your needs."

In fact, if you are an older person in pain, you should talk to your health care professional first, rather than trying to remedy the problem at home. Treatment options vary, and often a multidisciplinary approach may work best--even with a chronic medical problem, your pain can be treated. Your health care professional may suggest counseling, relaxation techniques, aerobic exercise, or may prescribe medicines, such as opioids, to treat your pain.

The bottom line: Pain shouldn't slow you down in your "golden years."

More information and helpful tips for coping with pain are available at www.partnersagainstpain.com.

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Headache Relief

(NAPSI)-That neck pain you’re having could be a symptom of TMD, temporomandibular (jaw joint) disorder, a condition that affects more than 15 percent of American adults. TMD is particularly prevalent among women. Other symptoms of TMD include:

• chronic headaches

• painful clicking in the jaw

• locking or popping of the jaw joint

• back pain and

• swallowing problems.

Even though TMD is treatable, a national survey shows that patients often live with these painful symptoms for several years without relief despite seeking medical attention from physicians, neurologists and chiropractors. Sufferers commonly miss work due to the level of pain.

Surprisingly, relief can be found in a dentist’s chair. Dentists who are specially trained in neuromuscular techniques use a variety of methods to relax your jaw and find the optimal position. After a thorough examination, including a pain-free electronic analysis of the muscles of the jaw, a specially trained neuromuscular dentist can perform a workup and show how treatment will change the bite and alleviate pain.

From there, an orthotic, much like a mouth guard used by athletes, is custom made and used to temporarily maintain the optimal position until patients can be fitted with permanent crowns and veneers.

“Less than 5 percent of the dentists in the world are trained in neuromuscular dentistry,” said Dr. Bill Dickerson, president of LVI Global in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dentists from all over the world attend LVI to learn neuromuscular dentistry.

For more information or to locate a trained neuromuscular dentist near you, visit www.leadingdentists.com.

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Tips To Take The Pain Out Of Cold Weather

GBB Note: Cooler mornings have arrived in Fayette County. The weather is just perfect for getting out and walking the cart parts in Peachtree City, Here are some tips in case the morning stretch makes you stop and pause.

(NAPSI)-If you're one of the estimated 27 million Americans who suffer from osteoarthritis, many cold weather sports and activities can seem overwhelming. In fact, colder weather often intensifies arthritis pain.

By following a few simple tips, people with arthritis can reduce the impact that pain has on their lives:

• Maintain your exercise program-It's not just the cold weather that causes joints to stiffen, but inactivity. People who are normally active in the summer can become sedentary when it's cold.

Lack of exercise raises the risk for cardiovascular disorders and other chronic illnesses and can also make the muscles of the body less efficient and increase fatigue, stress and anxiety.

If the weather outside is prohibitive, find an indoor activity such as mall walking, dancing, swimming at an indoor pool or yoga. Be sure to warm up before and cool down after your workout to help prevent strains, muscle soreness and other injuries. Talk to your health care provider before beginning a new exercise routine.

• Try hot and cold therapy -Both warm baths and heating pads help ease the pain while ice packs reduce inflammation and swelling. Try starting with cold therapy to help with inflammation and then switch to heat therapy for stiffness.

• Layer your clothing-By wearing multiple layers of clothing, you can avoid rapid temperature transitions between indoors and out.

• Take an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever-Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Aleve work to relieve everyday aches and pains. Aleve has also been shown to provide 24 hours of relief with just two pills-something not found with other OTC brands.

For more information on how to effectively manage pain, visit the Osteoarthritis Resource Center at www.aleve.com.

When the weather outside prohibits outdoor exercise, consider an indoor activity such as yoga.

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