Most Americans Over 50 Suffer Some Type of Joint Pain (Poll)

TUESDAY, Sept. 13, 2022 (HealthDay Information) — Aching joints are widespread for folks over 50, nevertheless it’s nonetheless vital to speak to a physician about it fairly than endlessly self-medicating, specialists say.

Now, a brand new ballot from the College of Michigan breaks down joint pain, its influence on those that responded to the survey and the way they’ve chosen to react to this painful situation.

Findings from the College of Michigan Nationwide Ballot on Wholesome Getting old embrace that 70% of individuals over 50 expertise joint ache a minimum of often. About 60% have been advised they’ve some type of arthritis.

Amongst those that have arthritis signs, about 45% mentioned they’ve ache day by day and 49% mentioned it considerably limits their typical actions.

“If you’re feeling joint ache continuously, or it interferes together with your regular actions, you don’t should go it alone,” mentioned Indira Venkat, senior vice chairman of AARP Analysis. The group was one of many supporters for the ballot. “Discuss together with your well being supplier about how you might be treating your joint ache and extra methods which will assist.”

About 80% of these with joint ache mentioned they’d a minimum of some confidence they might handle it on their very own.

About 66% achieve this with over-the-counter ache relievers equivalent to aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Aleve). About 26% reported taking dietary supplements, equivalent to glucosamine or chondroitin. About 11% use cannabidiol (CBD), derived from marijuana, whereas 9% use marijuana.

About 18% use prescription-only non-opioid ache relievers, 19% get steroid injections, 14% take oral steroids, 14% use opioids and 4% use disease-modifying antirheumatic medication.

“There are sizable dangers related to many of those remedy choices, particularly when taken long-term or together with different medication. But 60% of these taking two or extra substances for his or her joint ache mentioned their well being care supplier hadn’t talked with them about dangers, or they couldn’t recall if they’d. And 26% of these taking oral steroids hadn’t talked with a supplier concerning the particular dangers these medication convey,” mentioned Dr. Beth Wallace. She is a rheumatologist and researcher on the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare system, the VA Middle for Scientific Administration Analysis and Michigan Drugs.

“This implies a urgent want for suppliers to speak with their sufferers about find out how to handle their joint ache, and what interactions and long-term dangers may come up in the event that they use medicines to take action,” Wallace mentioned.

Pointers from the American School of Rheumatology for osteoarthritis and the extra uncommon rheumatoid arthritis search to scale back the chance that may occur with long-term use or for these taking a number of medicines that may have an effect on sufferers’ abdomen, liver, blood stress, blood sugar, temper or sleep.

The rules for osteoarthritis, which might be brought on by put on and tear, emphasize weight reduction, train, self-management packages with arthritis educators, tai chi, yoga, braces, splints and kinesiotaping, acupuncture or acupressure, cognitive behavioral remedy and making use of warmth, chilly or topical ache relievers on aching joints.

For remedy, the rules deal with short-term use of over-the-counter medicines in low doses, together with steroid joint injections in acceptable sufferers. They suggest towards most dietary supplements, opioids and different pharmaceuticals.

About 64% of survey respondents who’ve joint ache do use train and 24% have had physical therapy. Far fewer used non-drug choices equivalent to braces.

Sure teams of older adults look like extra more likely to expertise worse joint ache, mentioned ballot director Dr. Preeti Malani, a Michigan Drugs doctor with coaching in infectious ailments and geriatrics.

“Those that say their general well being is truthful or poor had been twice as more likely to say they’ve reasonable or extreme joint ache as these in higher well being. The distinction was practically as nice between those that say their psychological well being is truthful or poor than those that reported higher psychological well being,” she mentioned in a Michigan Drugs information launch.

“And older adults with truthful or poor bodily or psychological well being had been more likely to agree with the assertion that there’s nothing that somebody with joint ache can do to ease their signs, which we now know to be unfaithful,” Malani mentioned. “Well being suppliers want to lift the subject of joint ache with their older sufferers, and assist them make a plan for care which may work for them.”

The cellphone ballot was administered in January and February 2022 amongst 2,277 adults aged 50 to 80.

Extra info

The U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has extra on osteoarthritis.