WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:03.720 Let me start with something that might surprise 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:07.179 you. Pain is not simply just part of getting 00:00:07.179 --> 00:00:10.199 older. I hear that phrase all the time, and I 00:00:10.199 --> 00:00:12.779 understand why people say it. But here's the 00:00:12.779 --> 00:00:15.759 truth. Pain is your body's way of talking to 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:18.600 you. And when we ignore it, we miss important 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:21.600 messages that could keep us safer and more independent. 00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:25.199 Today I want to walk you through why pain matters, 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:27.879 what it can really be telling you, and what to 00:00:27.879 --> 00:00:31.030 do about it. Because brushing pain off can lead 00:00:31.030 --> 00:00:33.969 to bigger problems down the road. And just so 00:00:33.969 --> 00:00:36.609 you know where I'm coming from, I'm Robin Schiltz. 00:00:36.729 --> 00:00:39.289 I'm a senior home safety specialist and I've 00:00:39.289 --> 00:00:41.729 spent years helping older adults stay safe at 00:00:41.729 --> 00:00:44.750 home. I've seen firsthand what happens when pain 00:00:44.750 --> 00:00:47.789 is ignored and when it's addressed early. So 00:00:47.789 --> 00:00:52.049 let's talk about it. First of all, pain is information. 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:55.280 That is something I want you to remember. Pain 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:58.380 isn't weakness or complaining. It's not something 00:00:58.380 --> 00:01:01.259 you should just live with. Pain is your body 00:01:01.259 --> 00:01:04.219 waving a flag and saying, hey, something's not 00:01:04.219 --> 00:01:07.620 right here. Sometimes pain is sharp and obvious. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:10.640 Other times it's dull, nagging, or comes and 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:13.599 goes. And those quieter pains are often the ones 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:17.079 people ignore the longest. I've worked with seniors 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:19.689 who told me all my... My knee always hurts, but 00:01:19.689 --> 00:01:22.150 that's normal. Or my back aches, but I don't 00:01:22.150 --> 00:01:25.989 want to bother anyone. So what I'm saying is 00:01:25.989 --> 00:01:28.549 that knee pain might change the way you walk. 00:01:28.870 --> 00:01:31.510 The back pain might make you avoid standing up 00:01:31.510 --> 00:01:34.230 straight. And those small changes can throw off 00:01:34.230 --> 00:01:37.650 your balance without you realizing it. Pain changes 00:01:37.650 --> 00:01:40.579 how you move. When something hurts, your body 00:01:40.579 --> 00:01:43.540 naturally tries to protect it. You shift your 00:01:43.540 --> 00:01:46.480 weight, you start favoring one side, or you move 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:49.620 slower, or you start holding on to furniture 00:01:49.620 --> 00:01:52.680 more often, and at first that seems helpful, 00:01:52.859 --> 00:01:55.760 but over time it can actually increase your risk 00:01:55.760 --> 00:02:00.040 of falling. Someone has hip pain, so they lean 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:02.700 more on the other leg, then that leg gets weaker 00:02:02.700 --> 00:02:05.459 and their balance gets worse, and suddenly they're 00:02:05.459 --> 00:02:09.289 one small trip away from a serious fall. Pain 00:02:09.289 --> 00:02:12.169 doesn't stay just in one spot. It affects your 00:02:12.169 --> 00:02:14.930 whole body, and it affects your confidence, too. 00:02:15.669 --> 00:02:19.289 Pain can quietly steal your independence. When 00:02:19.289 --> 00:02:22.069 pain sticks around, people often start doing 00:02:22.069 --> 00:02:25.250 less. They stop walking as far as they used to. 00:02:25.370 --> 00:02:29.110 They sit more. They avoid stairs. They skip activities 00:02:29.110 --> 00:02:32.370 they enjoy. Not because they want to, but because 00:02:32.370 --> 00:02:36.000 it hurts. Over time, muscles get weaker. Joints 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:39.180 get stiffer, endurance drops, and daily tasks 00:02:39.180 --> 00:02:42.419 start to feel harder. I've had people tell me, 00:02:42.539 --> 00:02:44.919 I don't go out much anymore. It's just easier 00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:48.060 to stay home. Well, that's not just a physical 00:02:48.060 --> 00:02:51.840 issue. That's now an independence issue. And 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:54.219 here's the part that really matters. The less 00:02:54.219 --> 00:02:57.259 you move, the harder it becomes to move. Pain 00:02:57.259 --> 00:02:59.819 can start a cycle that gets tough to break if 00:02:59.819 --> 00:03:03.800 it goes on for too long. Pain can be a sign of 00:03:03.800 --> 00:03:06.860 something bigger, too. Sometimes pain is really 00:03:06.860 --> 00:03:09.759 about wear and tear, but sometimes it's also 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:13.419 a warning sign. Pain can signal things like joint 00:03:13.419 --> 00:03:16.719 damage, nerve problems, infections, circulation 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:20.819 issues, even medication side effects. For example, 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:23.639 new pain that comes on suddenly, or pain that 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:26.419 wakes you up at night, pain that keeps getting 00:03:26.419 --> 00:03:29.280 worse, or pain paired with weakness, numbness, 00:03:29.419 --> 00:03:32.719 or dizziness. Those types of pains are not wait 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:36.560 -and -see pains. I always say this. It's better 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:39.539 to check and find out it's nothing serious than 00:03:39.539 --> 00:03:42.659 to ignore something that needed attention. You're 00:03:42.659 --> 00:03:45.659 not overreacting by asking questions. You are 00:03:45.659 --> 00:03:49.680 being smart. Pain affects mood and thinking, 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:52.580 too, and this part doesn't get talked about enough. 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:56.479 Chronic pain can wear you down emotionally. It 00:03:56.479 --> 00:03:59.620 can lead to irritability, anxiety, poor sleep, 00:03:59.740 --> 00:04:02.479 and even depression. When you're hurting all 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:04.780 the time, it's harder to focus and harder to 00:04:04.780 --> 00:04:08.539 stay patient and harder to feel hopeful. And 00:04:08.539 --> 00:04:11.180 poor sleep alone can increase your fall risk, 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:14.500 slow your reaction time, and make pain feel even 00:04:14.500 --> 00:04:18.360 worse the next day. So, as you see, pain isn't 00:04:18.360 --> 00:04:20.839 just physical. It touches every part of your 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:23.920 life. What should you do instead of ignoring 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:27.920 pain? First, pay attention to patterns. Ask yourself 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:31.439 simple questions. When does it hurt? What makes 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:34.699 it better? What makes it worse? Is it new or 00:04:34.699 --> 00:04:38.600 has it changed? Second, talk about it. Tell your 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:42.180 doctor, a family member, your therapist. You 00:04:42.180 --> 00:04:45.160 don't need fancy words and scientific explanations. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:47.860 Just tell the person what you feel and how it 00:04:47.860 --> 00:04:51.600 affects your day. Third, don't jump straight 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:55.759 into, I'll just take more pills. Sure, medication 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:58.319 can help, but it's only one piece of the puzzle. 00:04:58.779 --> 00:05:01.439 Often, pain improves with better movement or 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.800 safer home setups, supportive footwear, small 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:08.639 daily changes. As a home safety specialist, I've 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:11.740 seen pain decrease just by adjusting furniture 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:14.860 height or adding grab bars or changing how someone 00:05:14.860 --> 00:05:18.000 gets in and out of a chair. Sometimes the fix 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:21.839 is simpler than you think. And finally, be kind 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:25.720 to yourself. Pain is feedback. It is not a failure. 00:05:25.949 --> 00:05:29.029 Listening to your body early can prevent falls, 00:05:29.589 --> 00:05:31.810 hospital visits, and loss of independence later 00:05:31.810 --> 00:05:35.490 on. And that's the real takeaway. If you remember 00:05:35.490 --> 00:05:38.870 one thing from today, remember this, pain deserves 00:05:38.870 --> 00:05:42.430 your attention, not fear or panic, but attention. 00:05:43.470 --> 00:05:45.899 So thanks for joining me today. Please share 00:05:45.899 --> 00:05:48.000 this episode with someone you care about who 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:50.079 could use the information to make their life 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:53.160 safer. You'll find more resources for seniors 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:56.339 and caregivers on our website at seniorsafetyadvice 00:05:56.339 --> 00:05:59.019 .com. And if you're searching for an aging in 00:05:59.019 --> 00:06:01.800 place specialist, please visit our sister website 00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:06.019 at aginginplacedirectory .com. Also, if you haven't 00:06:06.019 --> 00:06:08.279 subscribed to our YouTube channel or to this 00:06:08.279 --> 00:06:11.160 podcast yet, go ahead and do that right now, 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:13.459 and then come back tomorrow for another daily 00:06:13.459 --> 00:06:16.360 moment of guidance and encouragement, right here 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:19.899 on the Senior Safety Advice Podcast. Until next 00:06:19.899 --> 00:06:23.079 time, thanks for listening. Take care. Bye.