Playing (and Living) with Pain

Sometimes it’s hard to tell you’ve had too much of a good thing—until it’s too late. I remember the day I learned that lesson. I was 41 years old, at the end of a seven-mile run. The sky was clear, the air sweet, and my heart and mind filled with an endorphin-induced high. It was August 2001, and all was right in my runner’s world. 

Then, I felt the first faint twitching, like something in my upper hip was being plucked. I finished my run and hoped the snapping would subside. It didn’t. The next day it grew—and kept getting worse. 

I sought help from what seemed like an endless lineup of physicians, specialists, and physical therapists—then chiropractors, acupuncturists, and massage therapists. Still no diagnosis. I didn’t know it then, but my treatment launched a journey that hasn’t ended, and likely won’t. 

I’m not alone. Earlier this decade, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 150 million adults in the United States participated in some type of non-work-related physical activity. Sports participation by people 45 and older in the U.S. has grown steadily since the 1990s. Those 55 and older make up our health clubs’ fastest growing membership—increasing by a whopping 380 percent since 1987—according to another study.

More active later in life, we’re still only human. Pain management and chronic pain (lasting longer than three months) are topics many of us must learn. Understanding how the body works—and finding the right resources when it doesn’t—is one way to manage pain and get back on your game. Knowing your body’s limits and adapting to them is another. Fortunately, there are plenty of experts to help with both.