Good Health Matters
October 2025
Embracing Our Older Years
October’s newsletter takes a look at the facts around ageing, and whether decline is an inevitability. In an era where our lifespans are extending, there’s a strong focus on living well and making the best of later life. While there’s no magic bullet, embracing a proactive lifestyle that promotes health, independence and wellbeing can prolong vitality through our later decades. Here, we explore the latest research, expert advice and practical strategies to enable you to live your fullest life at every stage.
Enjoy reading!
Is Pain an Inevitable Part of Ageing?
If you’re reaching the later decades of life, you may be expecting bouts of pain to become a more regular feature. We often hear people backing away from sports and activities, saying “I’m getting too old for this”. It can be frustrating to feel you have to slow down as you age.
But a new study might change the way we think about ageing and pain.
Researchers documented the experience of musculoskeletal pain in more than 8,600 adults.
Across all ages, 53% experienced pain on at least one day in the prior month, while 29% had chronic pain (lasting at least three months).
But it’s when they analysed the older age groups that they came up with some unexpected findings.
The proportion of people reporting chronic pain increased with increasing age, until they reached 60. After that age, there was no significant increase in the number of people reporting chronic pain. For those who did have chronic pain, the intensity of the pain didn’t worsen.
What’s more, the experience of musculoskeletal pain of any sort was lower in the 70–75 age group compared to the 40–44 age group.
This may be, in part, because older people are generally less active than younger ones, and therefore at less risk of injury.
But the slowing of chronic pain rates shows that the onset of painful conditions such as osteoarthritis isn’t inevitable.
While many factors contribute to chronic pain, looking after yourself with a good diet and an active lifestyle can only diminish the risks.
So, invest in your health now to enjoy a long and ache-free older age!
How GHC Can Support an Active Later Life
For many, ageing is assumed to be synonymous with inevitable aches, stiffness, and a gradual slowdown. However, the latest research, like the study above, suggests something else: while the risk of developing chronic musculoskeletal pain increases with age, the number of people affected doesn’t increase after the age of 60, and pain in those affected doesn’t worsen.
This plateau means that the golden years shouldn’t be defined by decline. For those already managing pain, or those seeking to maintain their vitality, our physiotherapists and osteopaths offer essential, non-invasive support. Their core mission is to manage pain and keep older people functioning at their best.
The Physiotherapist: Movement Specialist and Rehabilitator
Our physiotherapists are your experts in rehabilitation and functional movement. Their support is hands-on and heavily focused on proactive exercise.
- Fall prevention: This is a cornerstone of their work. They use balance training and gait analysis to reduce the fear and risk of falling, recommending tools and modifications where needed.
- Strength & endurance: They prescribe tailored exercise programs to maintain muscle mass, flexibility, and stamina, making daily tasks easier, whether it’s climbing mountains or simply climbing the stairs.
- Rehabilitation: They are crucial for recovery after surgery (e.g. hip or knee replacement), injury, or debilitating conditions like stroke or Parkinson’s disease.
The Osteopath: The Holistic Body Mechanic
Our osteopaths view the body as an interconnected unit. They focus on using gentle, manual techniques to improve the function of the skeletal system, muscles and other tissues.
- Joint & pain relief: They use gentle manipulation and soft tissue techniques to ease joint stiffness and release deep muscle tension. This is particularly effective for managing the chronic discomfort of conditions like osteoarthritis.
- Postural alignment: They address structural imbalances that cause strain. By correcting posture and ensuring proper joint alignment, they relieve pressure on weight-bearing areas like the lower back and hips.
- Enhancing mobility: Their techniques restore natural range of motion, which supports better balance and overall physical ease, contributing to an improved quality of life.
Ultimately, the goal of both physiotherapy and osteopathy is the same: to reduce discomfort and enhance independence. By proactively managing pain and preserving functional ability, our practitioners help older adults capitalise on that “pain plateau” finding, ensuring their later years are not spent sidelined by aches, but lived actively and freely.
Good Health Centre News
GHC Clinical Director and Principal Osteopath, Ami, was invited to speak at the October meeting of the Northern Counties Society of Osteopaths earlier in the month. He passed on some of the many pearls of wisdom he has gleaned from his nearly four decades of practice as an osteopath.
The talk included practical ways to alleviate the distress caused by misophonia. This is a sensory processing abnormality that triggers intense negative emotional and physiological reactions to certain sounds – rest assured, the drum kit wasn’t involved!
The Wellness Edit
Mind Matters: Maintaining Cognitive Health as You Age
Just as aches and pains can seem inevitable, many think that cognitive decline is an unavoidable part of getting older. But the evidence says there are a number of strategies you can employ to keep your grey matter in good shape.
Here are some science-backed ideas, combining physical, mental, social and medical methods to build cognitive reserve and resilience.
- Exercise: aerobic activity (such as a brisk walk) and strength-building exercise both increase blood flow to the brain, which promotes the growth of new neurons and improves memory.
- Balance and dual tasking: activities such as yoga and dancing combine physical movement with mental focus, which can boost cognitive function and reduce the risk of falls.
- Cognitive training: engage in a new skill that requires mental demand or undertake specific tasks in reasoning and processing speed, which have been proven beneficial in maintaining cognitive health.
- Social purpose: regular social engagement keeps isolation and depression at bay – two risk factors for cognitive decline. Boost your self-esteem, sense of fulfilment and emotional wellbeing through community activities such as volunteering or mentoring.
- The ‘Big Four’: a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet, quality sleep, stress management, and limit of toxins that damage the brain’s blood vessels (think smoking and excessive alcohol) are considered the four major protections you can afford your brain.
- Sensory loss: hearing and vision loss have been identified as significant, but treatable, causes of mental decline. Get tested and corrected to reduce cognitive load, promote social engagement and lower dementia risk.
The mind and body are interdependent. At GHC, we’re always here to support you in maintaining a healthy, pain-free life so you can engage in it fully. If you’re struggling with pain or mobility issues, just get in touch – our helpful team can advise you!
Clinic Opening Times
We offer appointments from 8am to 7pm or 7:30pm on weekdays, except Tuesday when we open late till 9pm. And on Saturdays we’re here from 9am to 4pm. Here is a handy reminder of our opening hours:
| MONDAY | 8am to 7pm |
| TUESDAY | 8am to 9pm |
| WEDNESDAY | 8am to 7pm |
| THURSDAY | 8am to 7:30pm |
| FRIDAY | 8am to 7pm |
| SATURDAY | 9am to 4pm |
| SUNDAY | CLOSED |
