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Keeping Mobility As You Age
Mobility gives you freedom, and aging presents some limitations in mobility. Dr. Mark Rowley, orthopedic surgeon, discusses conditions that could limit your mobility.
Featured Speaker:
Mark Rowley, MD
Dr. Mark Rowley is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon at Tidelands Health. He provides a broad range of orthopedic care including joint replacement, fracture care, shoulder arthroscopy, rotator cuff repair, carpal tunnel surgery, meniscal repair, trigger finger release and more. Transcription:
Bill Klaproth (Host): Mobility is freedom. Being able to get up and do what you want to do, when you want to do it, and if you lose mobility as you age; you also lose quality of life. Here to talk with us about keeping mobility as you age, is Dr. Mark Rowley, an orthopedic surgeon at Tidelands Health. Dr. Rowley, thanks for your time today.
Mark Rowley, MD (Guest): Thanks Bill, for inviting me.
Host: You bet. So, Dr. Rowley, what causes a lack of mobility as we age?
Dr. Rowley: Well there are multiple factors. Arthritis would be one of the most common but frequently it starts as stiffness and weakness in your legs resulting from immobility or less mobility than when we were younger.
Host: So, this is potentially a problem for all of us then as we age. Is that correct?
Dr. Rowley: Yes, it is.
Host: So, then what problems can arise because of a lack of mobility?
Dr. Rowley: Well the initial symptoms start out with stiffness in the joints, either your hip or your knee or foot and ankle. Associated pain when we do certain activities of what we call daily living whether that’s doing housework, climbing stairs, working in the garden or perhaps other recreational activities we enjoy. And then that is followed by weakness and eventually imbalance which is a high risk for falling and sustaining an injury.
Host: And that’s when the problems really start to occur, right, when you have that loss of balance as you age?
Dr. Rowley: Yes, it does. We all have a tendency to lose some of our balance and the weakness and stiffness really aggravate that problem.
Host: So, at what point should someone see the doctor about this?
Dr. Rowley: Well you should be followed – as part of your annual check up with your primary care physician; these items will be addressed and if there’s any concern that you are not as mobile, but it’s really more a change in mobility. We all have different levels of activity when we are younger but if you yourself notice that you’re not as active doing the things that you did a year or two before or more commonly that your family members, your spouse, your family, your friends, your neighbors are telling you that you care not coming out. You are not doing the things you used to do. That’s a warning sign and it’s time to get checked out.
Host: So, how do we fight back against this? Is there any way to stem the effects of aging and lack of mobility?
Dr. Rowley: Yes. The best way first is to recognize it, that it is a normal part of aging and as you approach certainly your 50s and 60s, these symptoms are going to occur. So, first is recognition, discussing it with your primary care doctor and potentially a specialty referral. But the other is maintaining and increasing your activity through a light walking program, a gym membership with a trainer who can teach you how to work on balance exercises and one of the most important is strengthening. We all have a tendency to develop atrophy in our muscles and if not counteracted; it will progress every year.
Host: Well we’ve heard the term use it or lose it. I guess that’s true with our flexibility and our muscles. Is that correct?
Dr. Rowley: Yes, it is.
Host: All right, so you just gave us some good points. Number one recognize this, understand what’s going on with your body and then you said maintaining physical activity, increasing activity in fact, strengthening, etc. So, can you give us some more tips for that? You said walking. Is it good to try to get an organized plan of strengthening and flexibility, yoga, things like that?
Dr. Rowley: Yes. Either a self-stretching home stretching program, yoga is excellent. Because it also provides other emotional health benefits along with the physical benefits. But a light weight walking program. If there are medical issue where you are not able to walk as far; then perhaps a bicycle or a treadmill, elliptical machine and certainly we all do better when we have goals. And when we discuss those goals with our family and friends. So, very important to develop a plan. That plan starts today. That’s always the best time to be effective. And share those goals with our close ones so, we are held accountable that we go out and do these activities.
Host: So, make those goals and share them. So, let me ask you this. For someone who has been inactive for a while because of a sickness or injury; can they get their mobility back?
Dr. Rowley: Yes. It’s going to be a longer, probably more difficult process but that’s probably even more important that somebody who is in good health because of the disease modifying effect of mobility and exercise. So, the first would be to have that individual talk with their physician, make sure what activities it is safe for them to do medically and then develop a plan. But the key to any successful plan to meet our goals is to start with goals that are achievable. And in somebody who has been ill or injured; those are going to be more like baby steps leading to bigger steps. But it’s very important for all of us to increase our mobility.
Host: So, it sounds like what you’re saying then is for all of us in fact, at any point we can start to get our mobility back.
Dr. Rowley: Yes.
Host: Well, that’s really good news. So, somebody who has let this go and might be in their 60s maybe 70s and is really stiff or walking with a cane, pain; that strengthening, that flexibility routine, stretching, that can definitely help them. Is that right?
Dr. Rowley: Yes and those are some of the best – the range of motion exercises, the stretching, the strengthening; very important and many times will delay the need for any formal medical treatment.
Host: That is such a good point. I love that, recognize this so as you get into your 50s and 60s and 70s; you can make that plan and have a good quality of life as you age.
Dr. Rowley: Yes.
Host: Dr. Rowley, is there anything else we should know about mobility and stretching and strengthening? What else should we know about this as we age so we can keep our mobility and keep that quality of life?
Dr. Rowley: Well, I think we should focus on the importance. It’s going to – in addition to preventing or reducing the risk of falling; it’s going to give us a higher quality of life. We are going to be able to continue to do the things we enjoy doing whether it’s travel, whether it’s going for a walk on the beach, enjoying our family. Those are all very important and then you have again the disease modifying effects for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, mental health issues, depression. All of this is linked to mobility.
So, I tell my patients we are not just looking at your knee x-ray today and deciding how best to treat your knee; this knee and your ability to ambulate as stay mobile affects all these medical conditions. And the best treatment many times is not a medication but it’s more of an activity and mobility program.
Host: Well that’s a really good point. Not only will you keep up your mobility; but you’ll keep these other conditions like you mentioned, at bay and that really makes sense. Because with that exercise, with that stretching; you are moving. You are getting your heart rate up. Chances are, you will be paying more attention to eating better. So, it’s really a two-fold thing here. it really benefits you in many ways.
Dr. Rowley: Yes, it does.
Host: Well, Dr. Rowley, thank you very much for your time today. Very informative. We appreciate it. For more information please visit www.tidelandshealth.org, that’s www.tidelandshealth.org. and be sure to subscribe to Better Health Radio in Apple Podcasts, Google Play or wherever you listen to your podcasts and check back for our next episode soon. This is Better Health Radio. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Bill Klaproth (Host): Mobility is freedom. Being able to get up and do what you want to do, when you want to do it, and if you lose mobility as you age; you also lose quality of life. Here to talk with us about keeping mobility as you age, is Dr. Mark Rowley, an orthopedic surgeon at Tidelands Health. Dr. Rowley, thanks for your time today.
Mark Rowley, MD (Guest): Thanks Bill, for inviting me.
Host: You bet. So, Dr. Rowley, what causes a lack of mobility as we age?
Dr. Rowley: Well there are multiple factors. Arthritis would be one of the most common but frequently it starts as stiffness and weakness in your legs resulting from immobility or less mobility than when we were younger.
Host: So, this is potentially a problem for all of us then as we age. Is that correct?
Dr. Rowley: Yes, it is.
Host: So, then what problems can arise because of a lack of mobility?
Dr. Rowley: Well the initial symptoms start out with stiffness in the joints, either your hip or your knee or foot and ankle. Associated pain when we do certain activities of what we call daily living whether that’s doing housework, climbing stairs, working in the garden or perhaps other recreational activities we enjoy. And then that is followed by weakness and eventually imbalance which is a high risk for falling and sustaining an injury.
Host: And that’s when the problems really start to occur, right, when you have that loss of balance as you age?
Dr. Rowley: Yes, it does. We all have a tendency to lose some of our balance and the weakness and stiffness really aggravate that problem.
Host: So, at what point should someone see the doctor about this?
Dr. Rowley: Well you should be followed – as part of your annual check up with your primary care physician; these items will be addressed and if there’s any concern that you are not as mobile, but it’s really more a change in mobility. We all have different levels of activity when we are younger but if you yourself notice that you’re not as active doing the things that you did a year or two before or more commonly that your family members, your spouse, your family, your friends, your neighbors are telling you that you care not coming out. You are not doing the things you used to do. That’s a warning sign and it’s time to get checked out.
Host: So, how do we fight back against this? Is there any way to stem the effects of aging and lack of mobility?
Dr. Rowley: Yes. The best way first is to recognize it, that it is a normal part of aging and as you approach certainly your 50s and 60s, these symptoms are going to occur. So, first is recognition, discussing it with your primary care doctor and potentially a specialty referral. But the other is maintaining and increasing your activity through a light walking program, a gym membership with a trainer who can teach you how to work on balance exercises and one of the most important is strengthening. We all have a tendency to develop atrophy in our muscles and if not counteracted; it will progress every year.
Host: Well we’ve heard the term use it or lose it. I guess that’s true with our flexibility and our muscles. Is that correct?
Dr. Rowley: Yes, it is.
Host: All right, so you just gave us some good points. Number one recognize this, understand what’s going on with your body and then you said maintaining physical activity, increasing activity in fact, strengthening, etc. So, can you give us some more tips for that? You said walking. Is it good to try to get an organized plan of strengthening and flexibility, yoga, things like that?
Dr. Rowley: Yes. Either a self-stretching home stretching program, yoga is excellent. Because it also provides other emotional health benefits along with the physical benefits. But a light weight walking program. If there are medical issue where you are not able to walk as far; then perhaps a bicycle or a treadmill, elliptical machine and certainly we all do better when we have goals. And when we discuss those goals with our family and friends. So, very important to develop a plan. That plan starts today. That’s always the best time to be effective. And share those goals with our close ones so, we are held accountable that we go out and do these activities.
Host: So, make those goals and share them. So, let me ask you this. For someone who has been inactive for a while because of a sickness or injury; can they get their mobility back?
Dr. Rowley: Yes. It’s going to be a longer, probably more difficult process but that’s probably even more important that somebody who is in good health because of the disease modifying effect of mobility and exercise. So, the first would be to have that individual talk with their physician, make sure what activities it is safe for them to do medically and then develop a plan. But the key to any successful plan to meet our goals is to start with goals that are achievable. And in somebody who has been ill or injured; those are going to be more like baby steps leading to bigger steps. But it’s very important for all of us to increase our mobility.
Host: So, it sounds like what you’re saying then is for all of us in fact, at any point we can start to get our mobility back.
Dr. Rowley: Yes.
Host: Well, that’s really good news. So, somebody who has let this go and might be in their 60s maybe 70s and is really stiff or walking with a cane, pain; that strengthening, that flexibility routine, stretching, that can definitely help them. Is that right?
Dr. Rowley: Yes and those are some of the best – the range of motion exercises, the stretching, the strengthening; very important and many times will delay the need for any formal medical treatment.
Host: That is such a good point. I love that, recognize this so as you get into your 50s and 60s and 70s; you can make that plan and have a good quality of life as you age.
Dr. Rowley: Yes.
Host: Dr. Rowley, is there anything else we should know about mobility and stretching and strengthening? What else should we know about this as we age so we can keep our mobility and keep that quality of life?
Dr. Rowley: Well, I think we should focus on the importance. It’s going to – in addition to preventing or reducing the risk of falling; it’s going to give us a higher quality of life. We are going to be able to continue to do the things we enjoy doing whether it’s travel, whether it’s going for a walk on the beach, enjoying our family. Those are all very important and then you have again the disease modifying effects for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, mental health issues, depression. All of this is linked to mobility.
So, I tell my patients we are not just looking at your knee x-ray today and deciding how best to treat your knee; this knee and your ability to ambulate as stay mobile affects all these medical conditions. And the best treatment many times is not a medication but it’s more of an activity and mobility program.
Host: Well that’s a really good point. Not only will you keep up your mobility; but you’ll keep these other conditions like you mentioned, at bay and that really makes sense. Because with that exercise, with that stretching; you are moving. You are getting your heart rate up. Chances are, you will be paying more attention to eating better. So, it’s really a two-fold thing here. it really benefits you in many ways.
Dr. Rowley: Yes, it does.
Host: Well, Dr. Rowley, thank you very much for your time today. Very informative. We appreciate it. For more information please visit www.tidelandshealth.org, that’s www.tidelandshealth.org. and be sure to subscribe to Better Health Radio in Apple Podcasts, Google Play or wherever you listen to your podcasts and check back for our next episode soon. This is Better Health Radio. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.