Back pain, Arthritis, Sugar, and Alcohol

Fiddleback

Fiddleback

Knifemaker
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Messages
19,746
Aaaah getting old sucks. You hear older men all the time advise you not to get old. Of course the other option is bunk too. Anyway, halfway through the summer I hurt my back, doing nothing. Picking weeds in the flower beds on a weekend anyway. I spent months at the chiropractor getting straightened out, then he finally looked at me and said the words I never wanted to hear. "Maybe try getting in better shape, or this is going to happen again and again." Good God Doc, I'm not married to you.

Sooooo, I started working out with my wife. Then as I started to feel better I guess I've had a wild turn. I quit sugar and began cutting back on beer. I haven't started to feel better from that yet, and I'm still weening myself off beer. At least I have gotten to the point that I can see I needed this change.

On a good note my back feels stronger and painless and Leah is having a ball torturing me about my sore muscles.

Please pray for me. Beer has a stronger hold on me than I was willing to admit. I'm down to 3 a day, and that has gotten easier to handle this week. Hopefully by Blade Show I'll be happy sipping a beer, and then switching to seltzer.
 
Feel your pain. Getting up there myself.

Planks.
(Done right, you shouldn’t be able to hold the position for more than approx. 20 secs at a time.)
 
Hang in there,getting there myself ,I used to jog and go climbing all the time, now I do what my body dictates or there will be hell to pay
 
Sugar and processed food are the worst!
Being healthy is a lifestyle change, good luck!
If anyone need some inspiration, watch David Goggins on Joe Rogan show on Youtube. :thumbsup:
 
At 50, I've been fighting back pain since my early 20s, respiratory stuff since my early 30s, and other ailments along the way. Since childhood I've been active and athletic, boxing and other martial arts into my 30s, now a professional horse trainer since my 30s, and for the last three years ballroom dancing with my wife three times a week. But I have been poleaxed by recurring back pain and respiratory issues a couple times every year. I've always prided myself on being able to overcome any physical obstacle by learning new skills, but the simple task of changing ones one body is damn hard! Weight loss is no problem, but getting the back muscles to tone, the shoulder to recover from the broken clavicle, and the lungs to control chronic coughing has been very difficult.

Two things I will recommend (though you seem on the way without any interference!) are practicing mindfulness meditation to stay focused and drinking as much water as you can every day.

Stay strong!

Zieg
 
Ice, Ice, Baby........

At 51, I am realizing poor technique and hard labor leave lasting impressions. Repetitive banging and vibration are hard on small joints(hands and wrists). almost every night, I ice my lower back, right knee and right hand to reduce inflammation. Keeps the moving parts moving.

Bill
 
I hear you on the getting old and onset of aches and pains. I wrenched my back once simply toweling off after a shower. Suddenly I am realizing that things that were previously supposed to be restful are now a potential health hazard. I can lean up against a counter for 10 minutes and realize when I stand up that there's injury potential there!
 
I won the genetic lottery in that I have bad feet, back knees, bad hips, and a bad back. A huge growth spurt in my early teens didn't help. I know that stretching and exercise can help with the pain, but I can never seem to bring myself to do either. I've cut back on drinking both for financial reasons (I was drinking pretty heavy pretty much every night) and health reasons (I was drinking pretty heavy pretty much every night), but I find myself replacing alcohol with sugar. That's not good, either. My body is so used to that sugar/calorie intake in the evenings that I find myself starving by 8-830pm. Sugary treats are certainly cheaper than alcohol, but I've never been a "sweets" guy and I'm feeling like shit because of it.

You'll be in my thoughts, man. It's easy to get carried away with it, and it's never as easy as we think it will be to reel in. I've had a bunch of friends realize they were in too deep. Some have had more success than others, but they are all better off now than they were then. Kick some ass, Andy.
 
Andy, another thing I'll mention is getting outdoors as often as possible. For me, that's the most motivational type of exercise there is. Even just a simple camping trip usually means you're on your feet non stop. I know there's a time commitment that's on a whole different level from hitting a stationary bike but hiking, backpacking, and woods-loafing are so much more rewarding for me. Even just a daily routine of walks. Earbuds in, mind wandering. Probably not widely considered, but the musculature of the human body is meant to be upright much more so than its designed to be seated. Any time your thighs are 90 degrees to your spine for extended periods you're working against that design.

Oh, and it just so happens being outside fits right in with your wonderful line of bladed utility implements!
 
As they say "Getting old ain't for Wimps". I'm 68. I quit using sugar maybe 5 years ago.Although alcohol is merely another form of sugar. I absolutely avoid processed foods as much as possible. Aggravating/chronic back pain is a seemingly unavoidable reality. When I need to I take Curamin extra strength...zero side affects and not harmful to your internal organs. And It Works. My apologies for the gratuitous shameless plug for this stuff.
 
Last edited:
We are about the same age.....if i had a nickel for every time my family heard ‘my back is whack’ I’d be able to buy a collection of knives! I save the beer for the weekends....seltzer :eek:good thing i can only fit 6 of these awesome st louis beers in my luggage for Trackrock. Hoping phillip will help me with them. :)

Glad to hear you’re taking care of yourself!
 
rswanson said:
Andy, another thing I'll mention is getting outdoors as often as possible. For me, that's the most motivational type of exercise there is. Even just a simple camping trip usually means you're on your feet non stop. I know there's a time commitment that's on a whole different level from hitting a stationary bike but hiking, backpacking, and woods-loafing are so much more rewarding for me. Even just a daily routine of walks. Earbuds in, mind wandering. Probably not widely considered, but the musculature of the human body is meant to be upright much more so than its designed to be seated. Any time your thighs are 90 degrees to your spine for extended periods you're working against that design.

Oh, and it just so happens being outside fits right in with your wonderful line of bladed utility implements!
Click to expand...

Thats a great suggestion.
 
I empathize with you Andy...

Making positive lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, etc.) are not easy to come about after perhaps decades of slowly building upon and reinforcing certain behaviors and lifestyle choices that are actually hard on one’s body both physically and mentally.

Keep plugging away... I’m now in my fifties and I’ve been dealing with and trying to follow through on making similar positive lifestyle changes.

All progress is good!

When your young it is easy to not think much about it... But as you get older you begin to realize the importance of keeping your body/mind in “good health”.
 
Last edited:
There’s a reason why so many retired folks move to Tucson, or the Caribbean. Hot, as in really hot temperatures year round do wonders for aching joints. 1 drink a day seems optimal, but going toofast can accelerate the damage.

There is also an ancient Chinese technique called “marrow changing ” which involves stimulating the growth of marrow inside the bones, and according to the literature kept many people healthy and active into their 120s. The process is almost entirely physical. It starts with gently tapping the muscles located over bones and moving toward the extremities. Entire books have been translated on the subject, so I can’t even summarize here.

In Korea and China, many elderly folks have for centuries had their grandchildren massage the back on the kidney area, where “yin” energy is produced. Since children have an excess of this energy, it is transferred to the elderly person(who is deficient).

Controlled breathing is probably the most important(as in life extending) part of meditation, as oxygen (as well as other gases, such as carbon monoxide) causes most of the degenerative damage to the body, including joints, cardiovascular and nervous system. (Remember the term antioxidant?)Breathe in, with the abdomen, quickly, storing air only as high as the chest, and slowly exhale, at about 1/2 the rate of inhalation. Practicing this until it becomes second nature and meditation or yoga is unnecessary. One ancient, yet very active, monk was asked what the secret to long, healthy life; his reply:” breathe less”, or, “take fewer breaths”
If you do this, along with comfortable arm and leg movements, while the sun is shining on the painful areas, “miracles” can occur.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top