Crossing the Line - Bring the pain- I'm almost 30

JEEBUS...

I'm about to turn 48 and skiing as well as ever. Of course, my standard activities don't include big drops or hammering lots of bumps. Still, if you want to keep skiing for a long time just accept that big crashes and big drops aren't as easy to recover from when you're not 25 anymore. It's not so bad; there are lots of cool things to do on skis besides huck.

Best thing I ever did for my body was buy a house that has a hot tub. Drinking wine in the tub after big days really speeds the recovery, along with lots of water intake.

Be REALLY careful about taking NSAIDs when you're drinking... I'm no doctor but I am afraid of kidney failure. I don't think Ibuprofen and booze is a good combination. I KNOW Tylenol and booze is a no no.

Fred Beckey rules! I met him climbing over 20 years ago and he was already old then.

I'm 50. Never skied till I was 30. Never snowboarded till I was 40. I still rip at both!

I have some tips if you want to keep skiing hard after age 40 that work for me.

1. Excedrin for pain. Ibuprofin is not a pain killer.

2. Give up tennis, running, and anything that stresses the joints. It's not worth it. I was a USTA 5.5 btw and don't miss the game. I miss the competition but not the game.

3. Swim! It stretches the muscles and joints and keeps you supple. Guaranteed.

otoh, I think I'm lucky I started alpine sports later in life. I'm still stoked..

Hot tubs feel good but they are dehydrating. I'll soak my legs but I don't like getting my core hot. It's dificult to stay properly hydrated the older you get.

For sore knees try leg extensions with very light weight and high repetitions. It's always worked wonders when I have sore knees. Skiing works the large muscle groups but does not allow the smaller around the knee to stay strong enough.

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Originally Posted by 4matic

Ibuprofin is not a pain killer.

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Huh????

Sure kills mine.

I'll be 30 in November and have been diagnosed with arthritis in both knees due to degradation of my articular cartilage. It fucking hurts alot....

to keep me on the ski hill:

- liberally apply ibuprofen...repeat.
- avoid moguls like the plague, used to love'em
- my skis don't leave the ground unless I'm on a lift
- no running whatsoever
- lots of cycling
- yoga
- glucosamine

My knees hurt like hell after I booze heavily, anyone else have that issue?

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Originally Posted by Mr. Altagirl

Age doesn't matter anymore, what kind of shape you are in does. A lot of people don't know how old I am and it really doesn’t matter (I’ll be 40 in a few months; they do know how heavy I am though, that's my typical issue).

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FKNA my brother you're killing it! We gonna throw down on that fine day?

and yes it really all depends on hard work and some genes

Interesting that 4matic says it's harder to stay well hydrated as you get older. I hadn't ever heard that but it jibes with my experience and you do see a lot of older folks with dry skin. Any idea what the mechanism is? I've been blaming coffee and wine...

Agree most of all with those that say stay in shape! I have spent most of this season 'skiing myself into shape' and it is NOT a good idea. Just puts more strain on the knees to ski with poor leg strength.

Also agree hugely with the DO NOT RUN sentiments. Save the joints for skiing.

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Originally Posted by 4matic

2. Give up ... running, and anything that stresses the joints.

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Which joints? Knees? Ankle? Rubbish. Running doesn't stress these. Bad form will and bad genetics certainly won't help. What I'm saying here is, just because you suck at it, not everyone does.

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Originally Posted by DJMingus

. Save the joints for skiing.

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Amen.
......

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Originally Posted by kidwoo

Huh????

Sure kills mine.

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It's primarily an antiinflamatory, but it does have analgesic properties.

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Originally Posted by kidwoo

Huh????

Sure kills mine.

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Ibuprofin is not an analgesic (pain killer) it is an anti-inflammatory.

http://arthritiscentral.com/html/medsanalgesics.htm

IB's might help with pain due to it its antiinfammation but it is not considered a straight pain killer.

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Originally Posted by 4matic

Ibuprofin is not an analgesic (pain killer) it is an anti-inflammatory.

http://arthritiscentral.com/html/medsanalgesics.htm

IB's might help with pain due to it its antiinfammation but it is not considered a straight pain killer.

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You don't want to go here with me. Really, you don't.

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Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

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Originally Posted by DJMingus

Save the joints for skiing.

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Amen.
......

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Forgot - those are perfect in the hot tub, too.

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Originally Posted by Viva

You don't want to go here with me. Really, you don't.

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Dude - he agreed with you. Chill.

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Originally Posted by Viva

Which joints? Knees? Ankle? Rubbish. Running doesn't stress these. Bad form will and bad genetics certainly won't help. What I'm saying here is, just because you suck at it, not everyone does.

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After a season of skiing my knees and hip are sore and need all summer to heal. What do I suck at? I ran and played tennis for years. I've had my stride analyzed at a clinic and it's perfect. Running is stressful on the knees
especially as you get older. Why would there be a condition called "runners knee" if there weren't something inherantly stressful about the activity?

The latest study, and supposedly the only large scale one, just found no beneficial effect on osteo-arthritis pain, with the exception of some improvement in a small subset of the more severe cases. There is an ongoing portion of the study to determine whether there might be some slowing of the arthritic process.

http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/gait/qa.htm

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Originally Posted by 4matic

Ibuprofin is not an analgesic (pain killer) it is an anti-inflammatory.

http://arthritiscentral.com/html/medsanalgesics.htm

IB's might help with pain due to it its antiinfammation but it is not considered a straight pain killer.

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The anti-inflammatory qualities are what makes it one of my food groups for sure.........but considered an analgesic by traditional terms or not, it does reduce pain.

Interesting tidbit at the very bottom of that page you linked to.......

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This is a pill that combines the anti-inflammatory and pain relieving features of ibuprofen with a stronger narcotic drug (oxycodone

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It's mechanism of inhibiting or not inhibiting nerve activity is kind of irrelevant in terms of traditional "analgesic" definition. I'm going to go out on a limb here but not every injury I've had that ibuprofen has helped with from a pain standpoint was entirely caused by inflammation. I don't know it's exact mechanism beyond the anti-inflammatory bit, but I do know it's very effective pain relief. I turn down the narcotic junk everytime I break something in favor of the mighty "I". And like most here, I've had some practice.;)

edit: now I'm curious......I need to look this stuff up. Shame I've never investigated further on my favorite staple

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Originally Posted by kidwoo

edit: now I'm curious......I need to look this stuff up. Shame I've never investigated further on my favorite staple

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Ibuprofen inhibits the two related cyclooxigenase enzymes 1 and 2 (COX-1 and COX-2, respectively) that produce certain prostaglandins (I forget which one(s)). The ones made by COX-2 function as a primary mediator of the inflamatory response and is activated following an inflamation-provoking insult.

NSAID drugs, ibuprofen, but also aspirin and diclofenac are capable of inhibiting both COX enzymes. They inhibit COX-2 at the site of inflammation, but they block COX-1 at the level of the gastric mucosa that that's why too much of any of these compounds gives you a big ol' tummy boo-boo.

While I don't know the mechanism of action, all NSAIDs have limited use in the management of moderate to severe pain due to a ceiling effect on their analgesic activity.

Turning 30 is not that bad. Aches and pains will come and go. Just keep doing things atheletic to keep you muscles loose and in shape and drink a lot of beer. It seems to help with some of the minor aches and pains. I am 36 and still ski and ride hard. I've had 5 knee surgeries and tore my MCL in February but it all gets better.

Just don't let it bother you and live life to the fullest. You're going to be fine.

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Originally Posted by SKISC

I am 36 and still...ride hard.

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Three pages and, finally, someone mentions sex as a way to stay in shape.

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Originally Posted by Viva

Three pages and, finally, someone mentions sex as a way to stay in shape.

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Yeah, that too and don't need the Viagra yet.

Quit being a whining bitch. You just have a low pain threshold. Wait till you start passing kidney stones and getting spinal taps. That stuff actually hurts. Get in shape mentally and physically and quit whining about being 29.

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Originally Posted by irul&ublo

The latest study, and supposedly the only large scale one, just found no beneficial effect on osteo-arthritis pain, with the exception of some improvement in a small subset of the more severe cases.

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Unfortunately, there were two glaring problems that called into question the findings of that study. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find any orthopedic surgeons who took this study as a reason to stop recommending glucosamine to their patients.

1) The total daily dosages used in the study were lower than that generally recommended for glucosamine. Although 1500 mg daily was used in the study, the researchers chose to use glucosamine sulfate donated by a small company out of Illinois rather than pay for the glucosamine hydrochloride that most people buy at the corner drugstore. It takes as much as 2,200 mg of "glucosamine sulfate" to yield 1500 mg of the active ingredient glucosamine hydrochloride. Therefore, all patients were underdosed by approximately 30% of the recommended daily amount of glucosamine HCL when randomized into the "glucosamine" arm of the study.

2) Subjects were allowed to take up to 4,000mg of Tylenol per day for pain relief, including the "placebo" group. This was in addition to any study medication they were on. So, to make any statement inferring that the glucosamine groups (with or without chondroitin) were no more effective than placebo would be erroneous. There was no true placebo group. All groups took pain-relieving substances.

One of the only factual conclusions which can be drawn from this particular study is that "subtherapeutic dosages of glucosamine (1000-1050mg NET weight glucosamine HCL per day) do not appear to provide any more pain relief in osteoarthritis than up to 4,000 mg of acetaminophen.

When orthopedic surgeons were polled after their most recent international convention as to whether they would continue personally using or recommending glucosamine HCL for themselves and their patients after this study, the overwhelming majority said they would.


I've been taking a special preparation that includes 1500 mg glucosamine HCL daily for almost ten years, along with antioxidants, vitamins, multiple-source fibers, and mineral supplements. I'm told I will turn 50 this year. There's calendar age and then there is real age. I invite anyone to come ski with me if you want to see what supplements can do.... ;)

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Originally Posted by homerjay

My knees hurt like hell after I booze heavily, anyone else have that issue?

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After a hard day of skiing, and a hard night of drinking my knees are sore the next day, and I never have knee problems...Don't hurt really, but definitely feel different/unconfortable while im nursing my hangover. ONLY when I drink alot. What's the deal with that?

edit- gonna ask in the gimp room....

I am a BIG BABY. hahah

First, my point isn't that I'm going to complain and not go skiing or something. My point is that I don't feel like I'm invincible anymore.

Over time, I've been managing pain, just like the rest of you. It's just that the relief of this whole orthotics adventure has proven to me that I've ignored my body even though I thought I was taking good care of it.

Also, I'm not out of shape. I know skiing-shape is unique, and I'm not skiing 40-60 days a year right now. I run a lot (20+/week), and this tears up my body more than anything. It always has, but now some of my old gimpyness has migrated to other places in my body. I've never broken a bone (not sure why - my dad and my brother have combined for 25+ broken bones) but I've done damage all over. It's almost worst, b/c a break can be set, but a slipped disk is a real pain. Four concussions and handfulls of broken teeth don't help either.

I've heard that your body changes every 7 years. This summer for the first time, I put on muscle when I lifted. Up until then, I pretty much just flailed. In about 3 months, I put on 20lbs of muscle. It feels great to be stronger when I'm skiing. Plus my core got stronger too. It really helps. But then I could barely throw a football today b.c my shoulder is all screwed up.

It's just that I'm in a new realm now. I don't think I can throw my body around the same way. Yeah, it's reality, but I think it's time I get smart about it and learn how to maintain it, so I can be touring when I'm 70.

And yeah, it sounds like I'm still pretty fortunate. I just knew you guys and girls have been through it too, and probably worse.

Now where is that Vicaprofin?