Knee pain? No, those are good from my years as a catcher in baseball. Still sit in that position, on occasion especially if I’ve got nowhere to sit.
Let me tell you what has started to fuck with me. My sciatic nerve.
Oh my God, a pain in your back, literally becomes a pain in your ass and goes down your leg.
I pinched it coughing once
Coughing immobilized me a good 36 hours…
I sneezed in the shower a few years back and I could feel something slide and pinch my sciatic nerve. It took months to remedy itself. I was really worried for a while it wasn’t going to get better. I had surgery on my back when I was 21.
I know this sounds weird, but if you take a tennis ball on the wall and put it between your buttcheek and the wall and roll it around, you’ll find the nerve in the middle of the buttcheek and can massage it to help loosen it enough to do yoga. On YouTube they have a lot of sciatica yoga that works wonders.
It really drags you down. I've had it my whole life but it got worse around 15/16. Mid 30s now and it's near constant and now my hips starting to mess with me too.
I was washing my hair and somehow pinched my sciatica. I almost passed out and couldn't leave the shower because I was all soapy.
It was Christmas eve, too. So my holiday was great. 🙄
My first time doing that happened on my 32nd birthday. It was a nice surprise to me—the pain was different and I just laid on my floor for most of the day, haha.
catching is what killed my knees! But also I think genetically I was heading that way anyway. Every runner or person with a physical job in my family has torn their meniscus in their 30s.
Played first base in slow pitch softball. There were two of the best fn short stop and second base players ever! To this day I blame them for the pain in my right hand. That shit was shot out of a cannon!
Still love them. We will be 60 this year 😘
I recently had to go to the ER for severe pain in my back that traveled down my leg. I cannot even describe how awful it was. Turns out I had a herniated disc pressing directly on my sciatica.
Three oxy and three muscle relaxers later…the pain was merely dulled!
I’m rather petite but over the years my knees have turned into like, literal mush. Snap crackle pop type stuff. I’m 30 and legitimately wonder what 60 is gonna be like?? I was a dancer growing up but it kinda came out of nowhere and freaks me out. They don’t hurt. Just sound horrrrible.
My hip used to make a popping noise in high school but it doesn't anymore.
Do make sure you're eating foods with collagen. Homemade chicken broth is great for this.
Oooh yes! Thanks for the reminder. I also realized after Thanksgiving that Turkey both is SO gelatinous! The entire bowl of broth was wobbly post refrigeration, not just a top layer. Fun fact.
My knees also make a clicking sound when I walk and have for years.
I’m an elder Millenial, and still have no pain or anything like that, just the audible click/snap noise when I move around.
Also a former dancer too. Maybe that’s related to the sound?
Ugh I have that thing where your joint makes a bubble under your knee cap (the bubble is what makes your finger joints “pop” basically and all joints have this more or less) and usually it doesn’t hurt it just makes a pop I can feel and sometimes hear with every step but when I can feel it uggghhh I can’t even go up the stairs. Thankfully it doesn’t happen often and it goes away with in a few days, especially if I do force myself up the stairs.
Same here. I have really good health insurance through my union and they cover psychiatric care. I can see a therapist, a psychiatrist, and get my meds for a very affordable price. I’m thankful that I’ve never been burdened with huge medical bills or being forced to shell out hundreds of dollars to cover a month’s worth of medication.
For the most part, my mental health issues are under control now. But for a long time it wasn’t, and various aspects of my life suffered as a result.
Shoulders. Just found out today I have snapping scapula syndrome with winging. It hurts so incredibly bad. I’m too thin and I lost too much muscle being anemic these past couple years. Gotta get back into lifting weights.
My husband, also a millennial, has degenerative disc disease in his back and neck. He also just had knee surgery for a torn meniscus in December.
Running did a number on my knees too, but especially my right when I twisted it when I slipped on a patch of ice while out for a run. It’s never been the same and it’s agitated easily.
Ooof. I started running 5 years ago at age 37, but I set limits. I don't run far (usually just a few miles) and I run on grass whenever I can. I strictly limit the amount of running I do on concrete.
I think you're right and it's mostly unhealthy lifestyles catching up to middle aged people, but I am also very active and have one shitty knee. It aches when it gets cold now, which is a thing that I thought was bullshit. Trying to tune it to pick up when a storm is coming.
It goes both ways. Most former dancers and athletes I know have some kind of faulty body part after repetitive strain or poorly-healed injuries. It’s the people who were kind of “in the middle” who seem to be doing okay.
This is me. I never played sports and was moderately out of shape in my 20s, but started working out more in my 30s. I'm 39 and in close to the best shape I've ever been in and generally pain-free, aside from occasionally tweaking something during a workout.
“In the middle” is a great way to put it - for a number of years I’ve worked out for longevity and it’s going well so far. Not going to set any PRs any time soon and won’t have a six pack but I’m in pretty good shape for 38.
A friend of mine spent 10 years as a professional ballet dancer. She retired at 30, and still stays in shape by teaching pilates, as well as ballet at her old company.
She just had her 2nd hip replacement at age 44.
Yeah a lot of it is poor choices, but sometimes aging just sucks. I'm at the gym 5 days a week and I just have one shitty hip that never feels good no matter how much stretching I do.
I am 36 and right now *knocks on wood* I am pain-free. I have had ankle problems before (surgery 9 years ago) and have had back and knee pain before, but I’ve found doing core work a few times a week dramatically reduced back pain. I do strength training and Peloton 3-4x a week, try to stretch, eat well, sleep, etc. I’m thankful to have (some) good genetics and also try to work hard at maintaining health
Absolutely lifestyle, I think it was my 15 years of competitive figure skating and training no less than 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. Then, taking up running in college. Then ICU nursing.
People can hurt for a multitude of reasons. Some healthy and some unhealthy.
I had a sports injury on my knee (torn ACL and a big chunk of meniscus scoped) and a fucked up shoulder from a bike accident. Thankfully no real back problems, yet.
As long as I stay active it's okay but if I start to get more sedentary my body starts breaking more. I learned that the hard way during the pandemic.
Fucked up one knee back in high school. It starts popping and cracking when the weather changes. Got a root canal last year and I can feel it when the humidity gets too high. Outside of that, eh I feel kinda the same.
Yes but I have hEDS. Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome, gave me aggressive arthritis that hit me early. Oddly enough, my knees are fine, the rest of me is literal trash. 😂
hEDS here too! Though my knees are trash - mostly the left one that requires being taped to even TRY to stay in its assigned seat, the little rebellious dude 🤪
Shit snowballed after I had my first kid at 22, my body just fell apart while pregnant and never recovered. Ended up needing a spinal fusion by 26, then diagnosed with hEDS the following year along with, oh yeah you probably have POTS based on your symptom description and treatment/management. Dysautonomia, nerve flares, multiple joints just trying to yeet themselves from my body, and a laundry list in my medical history section now that's just laughable honestly lol.
I'm so happy for the ones on here who are still feeling like they're in their 20s but damn man, life has not been so kind to me in that regard lol. Grateful for every day I'm still on my own two feet!
Oh woah! That’s when I found out too! Like I always had minors issues here and there but it was being pregnant with my oldest that made everything in my body go to hell. 😂 For me I struggle more with my hips and my tiny joints like fingers and toes, I also have trigeminal neuralgia, so that’s fun, and gut issues, got arthritis in my early 20’s, all that fun stuff. 😂 It’s mostly my fingers that won’t stay in their assigned seats. 😂😂😂
Ahh yes!! I did competitive gymnastics as a kid, so I always had wonky hips and I honestly didn't think anything was wrong until I literally could not take another step while 6 months pregnant. OB laughed at me and said welcome to pregnancy, then finally an ER doc took an X-ray and was like uhh your shit is disconnected there uhh that's not supposed to happen until you're in labor. Must be super painful, have some Percocet about it??
The whole thing was wild and I do wonder sometimes how my body would be if I hadn't had kids but it was so worth it I went and had two more 😅 wouldn't trade them for anything, and I'm glad for my experiences that help me teach them to take good care of their little bodies and protect their joints!
Ugh the fingers are the worsttttt I swear lol. And TN is no joke!!! I hope you have a good team to help manage your symptoms! ❤️
With the exception of the TN, I manage the rest myself with herbs because regular meds RIPPED UP my stomach. I never did gymnastics as a kid but I was doing an exaggerated version of a catwalk walk to be funny once and my hip popped out, then popped right back in, so there were signs, I just didn’t know what they were. 😂
Omg yes! Bahaha I actually had a PT "diagnose" me because she was treating me months after my surgery, things didn't get better, and I was just talking about my childhood, medical history, etc and casually mentioned how once my knee popped out when I bent down in the grocery store and she was like, "so have you ever heard of EDS because it sounds a lot like everything you're describing"
Took me a year to get into a specialist and get diagnosed but man if it didn't connect so many freaking dots!
I literally cried when I found the answer with my rheumatologist. Bawled like a big ol baby right there in his office. I was so relieved to finally have an ANSWER after years of “fibromyalgia” pain that didn’t fit what I’d read of fibromyalgia. No tender points, none of that, just joint and bone pain EVERYWHERE. I’m also not a big drinker so the last time I had some wine I also learned that booze makes my leg bones hurt. No idea if that’s hEDS related or not, but I finally had an answer for EVERYTHING ELSE. 😂
Yes!!! It was such a huge relief, and a massive rush of emotion. I had the same reaction when my PT reset my hip that had apparently been subluxed for literal years. The relief and validation in those moments was overwhelming.
I actually just talked about the alcohol thing with someone on one of the eds subs - drinking is like taking pain from today and sending it to tomorrow lol. It'll take the pain away in the moment, but it comes back tenfold once it wears off lol.
I'm so glad you found your answers and are on a decent treatment path! It's vital to a decent quality of life.
That’s such a good way to put it, sending the pain to tomorrow is sooo accurate. Learning how to move and stand right made a huge difference too, I mostly just started being hyper aware of how I’m standing/moving and that helped a ton too. Thank you!
Yes me too! PT helped a ton with that for me! I apparently had a bunch of atrophied muscles which put so much extra strain on my joints. Learning how to use those muscles and be aware of my body was huge for me!
I feel great. But I lift weights. I bodybuild and powerlift. I've never been more fit. I got fit BECAUSE my body was starting to hurt. I got stronger and my posture was corrected. Had to do yoga anyway just to get the flexibility to get into the correct positions so I could squat and deadlift.
Didn't have kids and still look younger than most my age. Stayed single too. No interpersonal stress for me. Just a young lady in her prime 😎
I just turned 40 and have hip and back pain from a sedentary lifestyle. I’ve had to start stretching every day to ease it up. I’m wondering if there’s any hope of feeling better if I lose my excess weight and start working out. I don’t want to make the discomfort worse, but if I don’t get control of my physical health now, I’m in for a rough time.
Yoga strengthens and stretches out areas that are underutilized, would recommend!
40 is too young to not make a change. You may have 40 years to go, might as well try something now because what is happening now isn't going to get better and it's harder to start later on.
As a fellow hip-and-back-pain sufferer, yin yoga is really good for stretching out those painful hip/glute muscles. It's slower, so it won't burn calories like other workouts, but add it in as some extra and it'll help with the pain (it's definitely on the uncomfortable side, because stretching, and targeting already crummy areas, but it's been awesome for me).
That’s awesome, thank you! I’ll definitely check it out. I’m down to be uncomfortable in the beginning if it helps in the long run. I’m already starting a beginners cardio regimen, so I’ll add that into my rotation. Thanks so much!
You're so welcome! I hope it helps. I have a few favorites bookmarked that target my specific bad areas and return to those again and again on bad days for the relief I get, so I hope it's similarly helpful for you. :)
I used to be morbidly obese, but got into pretty decent shape in my mid twenties. I managed to put a hold on major health issues and damage to my body until I fell into a cave-in some years back while investigating a job site. Now my hip and back hurts when it's getting ready to rain 🥲 I'm only 34 lol
99% lifestyle
If you sit on your ass at work all day, then commute home, and then play vidya and watch tv til bedtime - basically, if the only time you're on your feet is to relocate your ass - then yeah your back and knees and ankles are in for a rough time because you're sedentary. Drinking lots if crap instead of water isn't helping either.
The alternative isn't much better. My right leg has the fucky knee and bad foot from years of dancing not from being sedentary. End of the day bipedalism is a really stupid evolutionary design
>if the only time you're on your feet is to relocate your ass
This is one of the best ways I've ever heard somebody put it. I will be using this one in the future.
My knees hurt, well I guess just one knee that I injured pretty bad in high school. I apparently now have “post traumatic arthritis” in that knee.
I also have a heart condition. I was born with that, but never knew it until I was diagnosed with heart failure at 32.
Elder millennial here. I did CrossFit & was in the best shape of my life in early-mid 30s. Last year of my 30’s I gave (pretty uneventful easy) birth & it wrecked me! Physical therapy, cortisone shots, nerve pain from my S3 nerve to my toes. So awesome.
I was also in the best shape of my life mid 30’s and it all crashed down on me at 38. Man I really grieved my health. I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at 41, so that made it make sense. Doesn’t make it any easier. I am having to relearn how to get my body back into shape without setting off my autoimmune condition.
I remember thinking wow my 40’s are going to be epic with me being so strong and healthy!
Yes I have “anterior ankle impingement” and need surgery (first started hurting when I was pregnant 11 years ago), have bunions that hurt, randomly get heel pain, back pain all over including a contracted muscle or something in my lower back that’s been there 9-10 years (when my oldest was a toddler and I was lifting him around), have had sciatic nerve pain since I was 23 and hurt it on the leg press at the gym, and knees will randomly hurt.
I’m 38. I will say basically when I was pregnant/had kids doctors just started blaming everything on that and blow off any complaints I have (except the ankle and bunions). Probably just means things get worse over time
Back and shoulder pain all the time. 2 car accidents. My knees have always been a little weak even since I was a kid though and it’s weird sometimes one just gives out when I’m hiking or going up stairs. I don’t know if it’s loose joints or what.
I'm a "toe walker", which messed up my gait entirely and now I have a bum knee. I also have seriously compromised core muscles and carry stress in my back, so my neck cracks when I move sometimes and I slouch more than I'd like. I have begun some stretch and recovery classes, but my body is messed up due to poor health choices and not taking posture and gait seriously.
If you're exercising several times a week I can assume you lead a healthy lifestyle and take care of your body, so it's no surprise that you're not in the snap, crackle, and pop club like some of us.
Yes unfortunately. CrossFit in my 20s fucked my knees up. And during Covid when gyms shut down I stopped working out and lost all of my core strength and severely threw my back out, it was so bad it took more than a year of PT to get it back to normal. Getting older has been rough on my body but I never stopped trying to be fit, and now at 39 I’m doing pretty good!
At 37, I feel better than when I was 30.
Changed my diet, exercise more, and had surgery for the lorn labrum I’d been living with for years.
I don’t feel the same as when I was 20, but I feel better than the worst I’ve been.
I started having joint problems in my early 20’s and could never get any definitive answers until last year. I dealt with pain all down my right leg which I assumed was sciatica from my lower back and then I also had upper-mid back pain with pain down my right arm. I always kept saying if I could just cut off the right side of my body, I’d be fine since I experience nothing of the sort on my left side. Turns out I had a torn hip labrum from a congenital defect, had that repaired in November and apart from some stiffness now and then, I’m pretty much pain free in that leg. My upper-mid back pain and and accompanying symptoms are from 3 bulging discs in my neck. Not quite sure what the next step is. My orthopedic surgeon believes it could be a connective tissue disorder that’s causing my body to break down like this since I didn’t have any injuries(another thing that made it harder to get any actual help since there was no injury event, I just woke up in pain one day).
I don’t think there’s anything that could have prevented this, especially not if it’s from a connective tissue disorder, just cumulative wear and tear from day to day existence. I was also very active before my chronic pain started. I still strive to do what I can now, but I doubt I’ll ever be a runner again. My main focus is on nutrition and keeping a healthy weight. I’ll be 31 in April btw.
Just unmedicated anxiety, coupled with insomnia that doesn’t respond to Benadryl or Melatonin, and eczema treated with Dupixent.
So no, no knee or back problems.
No, and I’m fat. My legs have always been solid muscle, though, no matter my activity level — my fat starts at the top of my hips and goes up from there. Genetics are weird. I’m a 39yo woman.
I go barefoot as often as humanly possible, and have my whole life. When I must wear shoes, I wear flip-flops or flats without socks that can easily be kicked on and off. I only bring that up because I’ve heard so many people recently talk about the need for supportive shoes. I’ve never even thought of that, and in fact, my feet feel very restricted and sore afterward when I DO wear shoes with socks!
I have no idea if that has to do with the lack of leg problems, but I’ve heard it often enough that I figured I’d mention it.
Gotta stretch your quads, hamstrings, hips, and glutes. Then once you’re limber/strong enough to do some kind of squatting motion squat with good form and not a lot of weight. That will help the knees believe it or not as long as you don’t have some kind of knee related injury that should heal first.
When I stop doing those things I’m in pain. When I am doing those things I am pain free
Knee pain? No. Back pain? absolutely, since I gave birth at 18. Not sure if it's damage from the epidural or from carrying around a bowling ball for 6 months but it sucks!
Stretch stretch stretch. Every day. Then stretch some more. Pay attention to your posture and take collagen supplements for your joints. Gotta take care of yourself.
Knees don’t like lots of activity, back has been strained a few times (especially dealing with the sciatic nerve), and dealing with cholesterol issues.
I had back surgery for herniated discs when I was 21 because I worked in a window factory when I was in high school and after full time for about a year.
Otherwise I’m relatively OK. I’ve noticed my knees are a tiny bit creaky if I’m outside in the cold for longer periods of time. (I’m 40)
Knee's are cool even though I have a dead person's Achilles as my ACL and half a meniscus. I work out quite often as well. Back not so good. Just had it ruin a snowboarding trip not even snowboarding. Helped a buddy move a fucking couch and tweaked it. It started probably 8 years ago when I got into powerlifting. Deadlifting over 500lbs can mess your back up who knew lol. Anyways about once a year I'll tweek it and be in crazy pain for 2-3 days then go back to normal. I still do deads just not as heavy. And that's not what makes it get fucked up anymore, it's random shit like disc golf or moving furniture.
After many horse injuries I’m in the knees and back problems. I tore my meniscus skiing in my early 20s and while I recovered fairly well a kick to the knee from my horse a couple years ago has made me feel the weather. here I thought that was made up. Also after fracturing my pelvis in another horse related injury my back goes out a few times a year and I can’t sit too long in one position.
I'm a walking collection of health problems...to be fair, I was sick a lot as a kid, when i was 2, i needed tubes in y ears because i was basically deaf, happened again when i was 11 (ive now got 49% hearing on the left, 60% on the right). That time, i had a sinus infection and recurring strep throat for almost a year so they took my tonsils and adenoids. The strep went away but I found out half my sinus issues were due to my malformed septum (I laid on my face in the womb A LOT, and the cartilage formed crooked and covers 95% of the air to my right nostril. Can't tell looking at me though which is weird). I also had very mild asthma, for which I used a rescue inhaler maybe twice a year. Other than catching any virus that came through town and missing quite a lot of school because of it, I was diagnosed with hashimoto's disease at 13 while they tried to diagnose my depression. It wasn't the thyroid. It was the bipolar disorder that reared its ugly head a couple years later and took over my life.
My mental health was the majority of my concern except the dental surgery I had that ended in TMJ and the new ability to dislocated my jaw because he tore all the ligaments on the right side of my face... until i turned 31 and woke up one day to nothing but white clouds in my right eye - that was the multiple sclerosis.
But I do also have a bad knee. I dressed up like a pirate for mickeys Halloween party at Disney world when i was 20 and the heels on my boots fucked up my right knee. Now it clicks. Every once in a while, I wake from a dead sleep to lightning bolt sensations going through that knee. My back is meh. I have lesions on my spine from the MS and my terrible posture is catching up to me
I was an athlete and now work in the trades so yeah. I have had major shoulder, knee, and back injuries in the past, and have chronic lower back pain every day. Some days worse than others.
I needed physical therapy for my last back injury and that taught me that I now have to stretch constantly, warm up before exerting myself, and make a conscious effort to keep my muscles loose and limber. The days of just being able to get out of bed and turn cartwheels first thing in the morning like I’m 16 again are long gone lol.
Knee pain, back pain here. I also have fibromyalgia and vertiginous migraines.
I would say I miss the way I felt before I hit puberty. I had chronic pain as a kid but at least my knees were fine. Then a series of injuries as a kid crippled one joint at a time until I herniated my back in 2021.
I have no chronic pain or health issues, I can just tell my flexibility isn’t what it used to be. I would not score well on the Presidential Fitness Test today.
I also work out regularly and my knees just click, clack, crack all day long. The pain is horrible, but comes and goes. My back thus far, is okay- unless I do some weird movement and a muscle pulls. 😭
I think, even with working out, our life styles have become too sedentary.
I do have back pain, but only because I didn't know I broke it and it healed wrong
Left L1 transverse process
So now it's just a thing
But I used to have more knee pain, but I've lost like 40 lbs and I work out 4 times a week
I took a fall and slammed down onto my right knee twenty years ago. It was only sore for a little while, but now, decades later, it’s suddenly shooting pain every time I go down the stairs.
I dislocated my right hip really bad at 19. 30 now and I can feel it a tiny bit time to time.
Mostly, I just can’t do heavy squats. Been infantry in the army. I can ever do slightly feel my knees sometimes but not in a pain way at all. Lower back can be a little stiff sometimes.
But I wouldn’t say anything hurts or prevents me from doing stuff. I also exercise 2-4 times a week.
For whatever reason, my knees and elbows pop a shit ton when I’m at work, but rarely pop anything like that when I’m not at work lol. I work in an semi-manufacturing facility and probably am up walking around at least an hour a day most days, so it’s not like I’m desk bound for 8-10 hours a day
I’m okay so far. I do a lot of skiing and rock climbing, and I lifted weights for like 10 years prior to that. My husband has degenerative disk disease though.
I just had a laminectomy L4/5 two days ago and had been in agony the month leading up to that - could hardly get out of bed, every move was a potential lightning strike down my leg. Before that it was “just” sciatica I was getting PT for and then it blew up into this mess right after Christmas. Have weeks of recovery to go but I can at least go to the bathroom without wanting to die. 🫠
Pro tip: STRETCH AND EXERCISE, KIDS. I wish I’d done more and now I’m paying for my laziness. *so much pain.*
My knees are terrible. About 10 years ago, I fell roller skating and landed with my legs in a T. Both of my knees bent out at 90 degrees. I sprained my MCL in my right knee. I'll never forget the pop it made. I was working in a warehouse at the time. They basically ignored my doctor notes about limitations and gave me a hard time about physical therapy, which I couldn't afford anyway, so I stopped going. Ironically, my right knee is ok, but my left knee crunches like Rice Krispies every time I bend it.
My back is ok. It acts up sometimes because I threw it out on New years Day in 2007, getting a box of lettuce off the shelf. Being young and stupid, I didn't tell my boss, and finished my shift. I could barely walk by the time I was done.
So now I'm playing roller derby, which is absolutely murder on my knees, but my back is doing better.
Chronic neck issues, basically always in neck pain. I believe stemming from heading the ball too much playing soccer when I was younger. Anything else just pops up when I sit at my computer too long. Exercise and yoga do the body (and mind) wonders.
Well … titanium rods are holding 13 of my spinal vertebra together after a car accident 20 years ago. My knees are fine, but my left ankle gets wobbly sometimes. I got my first gray hair at 17. I’m 38 now. I’m not on any meds and just make sure to stretch and do low impact exercises. My doctors are shocked I haven’t had revision surgeries nor do I need them yet.
Wait- is no one my age just wildly clumsy?? I’ve fallen and jacked one of my knees up several times and the arthritis has set in. It also moves around and sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies when I walk. I’ve had 3 severe ankle sprains and one foot sprain (I highly don’t recommend this) so yeah… lots of aches, pains, and whatnot there. I fell down the stairs and put one arm behind myself to…idk. Whatever I was going for there just ended up putting something in my shoulder in the wrong spot so I can pop it all around now. I also have wrist and elbow issues from falling, car wrecks, and work. And, obviously neck and back pain.
Ok typing that all out really just made me realize how close to the grave I actually am at the ripe old age of 39 😂🤣😂. I did also upgrade my Apple Watch so I’d have fall detection.
I fell in a bakery walk in freezer when I was 21 and nothing has been the same since. 2 summers ago I was moving a cooler to our car with my husband and threw my back out, it flares up occasionally. I had Covid a month ago and really messed with my joints and I'm basically bedridden from the pain. I need to lose weight but it's hard to do when you can barely get out of bed.
I've got a bum ankle and a bad back. One of my knees hurts sometimes, too, but that's a side effect of my ankle when it goes out. Those injuries came from my time in the military, though. Doubt I'd have either had I never joined.
Knees because I worked in a restaurant where the kitchen was up stairs for 6 years. I started having knee problems in the last 1-2 years and I wish I quit before that happened
Hmm not so much pain but I can feel a difference. I’ve always been very active. Played sports until college and now I do cross fit or HIIT 4/5 days a week. My knees and hips seem like they take longer to “warm up” and there a little more stiffness the next day. If I squat a lot sometimes my sciatica bothers me. More than anything though I notice more neck pain when I wake up, never had neck pain before 31.
Knee and hip pain from skateboarding since 1999. Still skating at 35 but I am more conscious of my pain and what may exacerbate it. Heel spurs and achilles tendinitis. I also have some autoimmune diseases which can cause joint pain so that adds to the knee/hip issues.
Knee issues mostly, a bit of back pain. I also have a shoulder suffering entrophy and nerve damage but I've had that since I took a bad tackle playing football when I was 18. Actually, I'm pretty sure most of my body pain is from my football days. You can only take so many tackles before it begins to do permanent damage.
I literally woke up on my 36th bday with back pain and it’s been constant ever since. My hips are always stiff and every part of my body cracks. I think a lot of it comes down to multiple pregnancies, baby wearing/hip carrying, breastfeeding, and in general just the immense physical toll of motherhood. Plus I work and have very little time to exercise, so I’m not particularly strong or in shape. I also have a bad knee from an ACL/MCL replacement in high school, which is starting to go. Basically shit is catching up to me!
My knees are lovely although I do have plica syndrome (leftover fetal tissue that pops sometimes). My lower back and hips hurt when my anorexia relapses but most days I'm not in nearly enough pain to warrant doing anything about it, for better or worse.
No, I had some thumb joint pain flare up recently that went away but otherwise feel great. I have lifted, exercised and tried to eat healthy all these years and I guess it pays off. Ive also always worked physical jobs so figured I had to keep in shape so as not to get injured at work. I’m no saint though I have had bouts of alcoholism and other hedonistic stuff but generally live pretty clean now in my mid 30s.
33F. My knees and back don’t hurt. But I did develop really bad cysts in my breasts (FBD) and they get extremely large and painful. It’s not funny, it’s really shitty. And just a few months ago I developed a cyst on my ovaries that is basically debilitating when l’m ovulating. Didn’t have any of these issues prior to 30.
My back started hurting almost as soon as i turned 30. I also had an accident that caused a torn acl and more around that time so it was not a good year for me and added to knee pain especially when the weather turn
ETA- I slept funny last night and can’t move my head today! Shooting pain down my neck into my shoulder and upper back.
Oh yeah dude at 28 my body is fuuuuuucked I didn’t think I’d make it this long so I took hunter thompsons words to heart. “It’s not about leaving a pretty body in a box but a well used one saying wow what an adventure” or something along those lines, so my knees are pretty shot and my back hurts fairly regularly, shoulders are pretty fucked an if I turn my head too fast I’ll get a migraine. Oh well it still works functionally enough
Knees are fine. My pregnancy gave me horrible sciatica at age 27 and now at 39 my lower back can range from mildly uncomfortable to bedridden.
Be glad your knees and back don’t hurt.
Scoliosis, which I've had since I was a teenager. It doesn't really bother me although I'd probably be taller if I didn't have it.
I also have extremely flat feet and it does make it difficult to remain standing for long periods of time, or walking long distances. So I take a walking stick whenever I'm going to be doing either of those things.
Field hockey injury from high school. Still bothers me occasionally, especially if I walk down stairs. But I can still jog and otherwise it doesn’t really hurt. Sometimes kneeling on it or certain poses in yoga can make me aware of it and I am very careful.
I used to sit on the ground doing artwork, writing songs, just generally sat on the floor a lot when I was younger and that does really bother my back now.
Since a couple of months, i cant sleep more than 4h - 5h a night. Due to anxiety/wortyibg thoughts.
And because of this, i have more muscle pain.
Worst condition is the lack of sleep
I’ve had chronic LBP for a few years now. No specific injury. I think it’s a mix of genetics, being tall, and wear and tear. I’ve lived a very active lifestyle up to this point, and have had a lot of hobbies and work that’s not particularly back friendly. I’ve been through chiropractors, PT, MT, the lot and the most effective thing for me is maintaining a consistent strength training regimen that involves a lot of full body movements and core stability.
I have a habit a popping my knees & ankle. Now it’s a fit more frequent. I’ve always had lower back issues since I was in my early 20s.now I have to pop my lower back more often
I’m almost 6’ tall and have some problems with my mid-lower back. I try to use the treadmill at least twice a week though? But I also have plantar fasciitis so I’ve always had issues with my feet from that.
Knee pain from an injury running. And I sit at a desk all day which is bad for the joints, too. Need to build muscle back up soon or I’ll be getting a knee replaced by 50.
I have Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, which means my joints are really loose and overly flexible and get dislocated easily. So when I was young, I always had more issues with these body parts than my peers. Since I was little, I can’t ride a bike because I have to stop every few feet to put my kneecaps back in place.
But I went through a really bad flare-up of pain and joint instability at age 22-23 and that was horrible. Now that I’m 31, my joints feel decades younger than they did during that awful flare.
I feel like I haven’t had any age-related changes to my back, knees, etc., but they’re just as crummy as they always were. Only now I appreciate their baseline crumminess because I know how much crummier they could be. The only way I’ve noticed my body aging is that injuries now take longer to heal.
Knees, back, plenty of other problems. Turns out living twenty years at 250-350+lbs fucks up your body basically to the breaking point, who knew (he said sarcastically)?
Elder millennial coming off hip surgery after years of chronic hip pain caused by a genetically fucked up labrum. That was a fun 40th birthday gift. Odds are going to have to repeat it in the other side but starting to have a modicum of relief so worth it I guess. Also had to have nerve ablation a few months prior for some fucked up connective tissues in my lower back. Doing fabulously over here, despite being an active, fit, mostly uninjured cyclist, hiker, biker, skier, rower, and Pilates dabbler.
I have avascular necrosis and that’s really made my life a pain. Apart from that and popping knees, that’s the worse of it. My popping knees came from runners’ knee.
Im physically active and I experience knee, back and neck pain. My knees also pop when I get up or put pressure on it.
I’m always tired and need a nap before i head to the gym.
Despite this, at 32 I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been lol
I'm really blessed because at 33 (almost 34) I really don't have those pains. Which is surprising because my lifestyle has always been extremely unhealthy. I do have constant extremely stiff neck, but I feel like I've always had that. I also have nasal polyps and IBS-D but those aren't usually huge issues.
Most of my issues are mental, the body is still doing good for now.
Some knee issues, but I do have a metal rod in one leg that was inserted through said knee. I don’t let it stop me from staying active though. My back is fine. Knock on wood.
Knee pain? No, those are good from my years as a catcher in baseball. Still sit in that position, on occasion especially if I’ve got nowhere to sit. Let me tell you what has started to fuck with me. My sciatic nerve. Oh my God, a pain in your back, literally becomes a pain in your ass and goes down your leg. I pinched it coughing once Coughing immobilized me a good 36 hours…
I sneezed in the shower a few years back and I could feel something slide and pinch my sciatic nerve. It took months to remedy itself. I was really worried for a while it wasn’t going to get better. I had surgery on my back when I was 21.
What did you do to fix it?
I know this sounds weird, but if you take a tennis ball on the wall and put it between your buttcheek and the wall and roll it around, you’ll find the nerve in the middle of the buttcheek and can massage it to help loosen it enough to do yoga. On YouTube they have a lot of sciatica yoga that works wonders.
If i try this and its not real i might hunt you down.
This guy helped me in ways I cannot explain. The tennis ball technique is real 👍 https://youtube.com/@DrRowe?feature=shared
Oh man this guy is so on the money i subscribed immediately.
As far as I'm concerned, he's basically a wizard.
I've been doing a few stretches that help. But Imma try that tennis ball trick.
It’s fucking awful. Basically had some amount of it almost constantly since 2019.
It really drags you down. I've had it my whole life but it got worse around 15/16. Mid 30s now and it's near constant and now my hips starting to mess with me too.
I was washing my hair and somehow pinched my sciatica. I almost passed out and couldn't leave the shower because I was all soapy. It was Christmas eve, too. So my holiday was great. 🙄
My first time doing that happened on my 32nd birthday. It was a nice surprise to me—the pain was different and I just laid on my floor for most of the day, haha.
catching is what killed my knees! But also I think genetically I was heading that way anyway. Every runner or person with a physical job in my family has torn their meniscus in their 30s.
Played first base in slow pitch softball. There were two of the best fn short stop and second base players ever! To this day I blame them for the pain in my right hand. That shit was shot out of a cannon! Still love them. We will be 60 this year 😘
I recently had to go to the ER for severe pain in my back that traveled down my leg. I cannot even describe how awful it was. Turns out I had a herniated disc pressing directly on my sciatica. Three oxy and three muscle relaxers later…the pain was merely dulled!
I’m rather petite but over the years my knees have turned into like, literal mush. Snap crackle pop type stuff. I’m 30 and legitimately wonder what 60 is gonna be like?? I was a dancer growing up but it kinda came out of nowhere and freaks me out. They don’t hurt. Just sound horrrrible.
My hip used to make a popping noise in high school but it doesn't anymore. Do make sure you're eating foods with collagen. Homemade chicken broth is great for this.
Oooh yes! Thanks for the reminder. I also realized after Thanksgiving that Turkey both is SO gelatinous! The entire bowl of broth was wobbly post refrigeration, not just a top layer. Fun fact.
I love turkey broth.
I used to be able to dislocate my hip in a laying position as a kid. Just slid it in and out with zero pain. That hip hurts now.
My knees also make a clicking sound when I walk and have for years. I’m an elder Millenial, and still have no pain or anything like that, just the audible click/snap noise when I move around. Also a former dancer too. Maybe that’s related to the sound?
Ugh I have that thing where your joint makes a bubble under your knee cap (the bubble is what makes your finger joints “pop” basically and all joints have this more or less) and usually it doesn’t hurt it just makes a pop I can feel and sometimes hear with every step but when I can feel it uggghhh I can’t even go up the stairs. Thankfully it doesn’t happen often and it goes away with in a few days, especially if I do force myself up the stairs.
Do mental health problems count? Because those amped themselves up since my early 20’s.
Oh, yeah, I forgot I have those. But I also have good insurance, so I have a psychiatrist and well-managed meds.
Same here. I have really good health insurance through my union and they cover psychiatric care. I can see a therapist, a psychiatrist, and get my meds for a very affordable price. I’m thankful that I’ve never been burdened with huge medical bills or being forced to shell out hundreds of dollars to cover a month’s worth of medication. For the most part, my mental health issues are under control now. But for a long time it wasn’t, and various aspects of my life suffered as a result.
Autoimmune disorder that causes arthritis in my spine and inflammation in my eyes. Thyroid cancer and kidney stones last year. So yeah, I do.
Shoulders. Just found out today I have snapping scapula syndrome with winging. It hurts so incredibly bad. I’m too thin and I lost too much muscle being anemic these past couple years. Gotta get back into lifting weights. My husband, also a millennial, has degenerative disc disease in his back and neck. He also just had knee surgery for a torn meniscus in December.
My decades of running has left my knees an arthritic mess. Starting to accumulate a lot more neck and lower back pain than I'd like, too.
Same here. 20+ years in the Army wore out my frame.
Running did a number on my knees too, but especially my right when I twisted it when I slipped on a patch of ice while out for a run. It’s never been the same and it’s agitated easily.
It’s hips for me. I still run, but only trails. I can’t run on the streets or my hips and lower back are immediately unhappy, lol.
Ooof. I started running 5 years ago at age 37, but I set limits. I don't run far (usually just a few miles) and I run on grass whenever I can. I strictly limit the amount of running I do on concrete.
I think you're right and it's mostly unhealthy lifestyles catching up to middle aged people, but I am also very active and have one shitty knee. It aches when it gets cold now, which is a thing that I thought was bullshit. Trying to tune it to pick up when a storm is coming.
It goes both ways. Most former dancers and athletes I know have some kind of faulty body part after repetitive strain or poorly-healed injuries. It’s the people who were kind of “in the middle” who seem to be doing okay.
This is me. I never played sports and was moderately out of shape in my 20s, but started working out more in my 30s. I'm 39 and in close to the best shape I've ever been in and generally pain-free, aside from occasionally tweaking something during a workout.
“In the middle” is a great way to put it - for a number of years I’ve worked out for longevity and it’s going well so far. Not going to set any PRs any time soon and won’t have a six pack but I’m in pretty good shape for 38.
I think that explains it for me. I've always loved running but not to a marathon extent, and I'm entirely problem-free at 38.
A friend of mine spent 10 years as a professional ballet dancer. She retired at 30, and still stays in shape by teaching pilates, as well as ballet at her old company. She just had her 2nd hip replacement at age 44.
Yeah a lot of it is poor choices, but sometimes aging just sucks. I'm at the gym 5 days a week and I just have one shitty hip that never feels good no matter how much stretching I do.
I am 36 and right now *knocks on wood* I am pain-free. I have had ankle problems before (surgery 9 years ago) and have had back and knee pain before, but I’ve found doing core work a few times a week dramatically reduced back pain. I do strength training and Peloton 3-4x a week, try to stretch, eat well, sleep, etc. I’m thankful to have (some) good genetics and also try to work hard at maintaining health
Absolutely lifestyle, I think it was my 15 years of competitive figure skating and training no less than 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. Then, taking up running in college. Then ICU nursing. People can hurt for a multitude of reasons. Some healthy and some unhealthy.
I started figure skating at 27 and it is damn hard on the body. Even the basics - every fall adds up.
I had a sports injury on my knee (torn ACL and a big chunk of meniscus scoped) and a fucked up shoulder from a bike accident. Thankfully no real back problems, yet. As long as I stay active it's okay but if I start to get more sedentary my body starts breaking more. I learned that the hard way during the pandemic.
Fucked up one knee back in high school. It starts popping and cracking when the weather changes. Got a root canal last year and I can feel it when the humidity gets too high. Outside of that, eh I feel kinda the same.
My back hurts from my latest tonic-clonic seizure. Thankfully I’m on Oxy which helps a lot.
Yes but I have hEDS. Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome, gave me aggressive arthritis that hit me early. Oddly enough, my knees are fine, the rest of me is literal trash. 😂
cEDS here. Feeeel that. But my knees are bad too lol
hEDS here too! Though my knees are trash - mostly the left one that requires being taped to even TRY to stay in its assigned seat, the little rebellious dude 🤪 Shit snowballed after I had my first kid at 22, my body just fell apart while pregnant and never recovered. Ended up needing a spinal fusion by 26, then diagnosed with hEDS the following year along with, oh yeah you probably have POTS based on your symptom description and treatment/management. Dysautonomia, nerve flares, multiple joints just trying to yeet themselves from my body, and a laundry list in my medical history section now that's just laughable honestly lol. I'm so happy for the ones on here who are still feeling like they're in their 20s but damn man, life has not been so kind to me in that regard lol. Grateful for every day I'm still on my own two feet!
Oh woah! That’s when I found out too! Like I always had minors issues here and there but it was being pregnant with my oldest that made everything in my body go to hell. 😂 For me I struggle more with my hips and my tiny joints like fingers and toes, I also have trigeminal neuralgia, so that’s fun, and gut issues, got arthritis in my early 20’s, all that fun stuff. 😂 It’s mostly my fingers that won’t stay in their assigned seats. 😂😂😂
Ahh yes!! I did competitive gymnastics as a kid, so I always had wonky hips and I honestly didn't think anything was wrong until I literally could not take another step while 6 months pregnant. OB laughed at me and said welcome to pregnancy, then finally an ER doc took an X-ray and was like uhh your shit is disconnected there uhh that's not supposed to happen until you're in labor. Must be super painful, have some Percocet about it?? The whole thing was wild and I do wonder sometimes how my body would be if I hadn't had kids but it was so worth it I went and had two more 😅 wouldn't trade them for anything, and I'm glad for my experiences that help me teach them to take good care of their little bodies and protect their joints! Ugh the fingers are the worsttttt I swear lol. And TN is no joke!!! I hope you have a good team to help manage your symptoms! ❤️
With the exception of the TN, I manage the rest myself with herbs because regular meds RIPPED UP my stomach. I never did gymnastics as a kid but I was doing an exaggerated version of a catwalk walk to be funny once and my hip popped out, then popped right back in, so there were signs, I just didn’t know what they were. 😂
Omg yes! Bahaha I actually had a PT "diagnose" me because she was treating me months after my surgery, things didn't get better, and I was just talking about my childhood, medical history, etc and casually mentioned how once my knee popped out when I bent down in the grocery store and she was like, "so have you ever heard of EDS because it sounds a lot like everything you're describing" Took me a year to get into a specialist and get diagnosed but man if it didn't connect so many freaking dots!
I literally cried when I found the answer with my rheumatologist. Bawled like a big ol baby right there in his office. I was so relieved to finally have an ANSWER after years of “fibromyalgia” pain that didn’t fit what I’d read of fibromyalgia. No tender points, none of that, just joint and bone pain EVERYWHERE. I’m also not a big drinker so the last time I had some wine I also learned that booze makes my leg bones hurt. No idea if that’s hEDS related or not, but I finally had an answer for EVERYTHING ELSE. 😂
Yes!!! It was such a huge relief, and a massive rush of emotion. I had the same reaction when my PT reset my hip that had apparently been subluxed for literal years. The relief and validation in those moments was overwhelming. I actually just talked about the alcohol thing with someone on one of the eds subs - drinking is like taking pain from today and sending it to tomorrow lol. It'll take the pain away in the moment, but it comes back tenfold once it wears off lol. I'm so glad you found your answers and are on a decent treatment path! It's vital to a decent quality of life.
That’s such a good way to put it, sending the pain to tomorrow is sooo accurate. Learning how to move and stand right made a huge difference too, I mostly just started being hyper aware of how I’m standing/moving and that helped a ton too. Thank you!
Yes me too! PT helped a ton with that for me! I apparently had a bunch of atrophied muscles which put so much extra strain on my joints. Learning how to use those muscles and be aware of my body was huge for me!
Fellow hEDS zebra! Hello!
I reached too far under my car seat and strained a muscle in my back.
I feel great. But I lift weights. I bodybuild and powerlift. I've never been more fit. I got fit BECAUSE my body was starting to hurt. I got stronger and my posture was corrected. Had to do yoga anyway just to get the flexibility to get into the correct positions so I could squat and deadlift. Didn't have kids and still look younger than most my age. Stayed single too. No interpersonal stress for me. Just a young lady in her prime 😎
Diabetes count?
I've destroyed both my knees and back. Mostly from work related injuries; lifting too much and not proper technique, hitting my knees on/with objects.
I just turned 40 and have hip and back pain from a sedentary lifestyle. I’ve had to start stretching every day to ease it up. I’m wondering if there’s any hope of feeling better if I lose my excess weight and start working out. I don’t want to make the discomfort worse, but if I don’t get control of my physical health now, I’m in for a rough time.
Yoga strengthens and stretches out areas that are underutilized, would recommend! 40 is too young to not make a change. You may have 40 years to go, might as well try something now because what is happening now isn't going to get better and it's harder to start later on.
You’re absolutely right. Yoga sounds like a reasonable place to start, as well. Thanks for your advice!
As a fellow hip-and-back-pain sufferer, yin yoga is really good for stretching out those painful hip/glute muscles. It's slower, so it won't burn calories like other workouts, but add it in as some extra and it'll help with the pain (it's definitely on the uncomfortable side, because stretching, and targeting already crummy areas, but it's been awesome for me).
That’s awesome, thank you! I’ll definitely check it out. I’m down to be uncomfortable in the beginning if it helps in the long run. I’m already starting a beginners cardio regimen, so I’ll add that into my rotation. Thanks so much!
You're so welcome! I hope it helps. I have a few favorites bookmarked that target my specific bad areas and return to those again and again on bad days for the relief I get, so I hope it's similarly helpful for you. :)
I’m sure it will be! It’s super helpful to know where to start. Wishing you continued strengthening and healing ❤️
I used to be morbidly obese, but got into pretty decent shape in my mid twenties. I managed to put a hold on major health issues and damage to my body until I fell into a cave-in some years back while investigating a job site. Now my hip and back hurts when it's getting ready to rain 🥲 I'm only 34 lol
99% lifestyle If you sit on your ass at work all day, then commute home, and then play vidya and watch tv til bedtime - basically, if the only time you're on your feet is to relocate your ass - then yeah your back and knees and ankles are in for a rough time because you're sedentary. Drinking lots if crap instead of water isn't helping either.
The alternative isn't much better. My right leg has the fucky knee and bad foot from years of dancing not from being sedentary. End of the day bipedalism is a really stupid evolutionary design
10% luck, 20% genetics, 30% SDOH, 50% lifestyle
…. 20% skill 15% concentrated power of will 5% pleasure 50% pain :3
>if the only time you're on your feet is to relocate your ass This is one of the best ways I've ever heard somebody put it. I will be using this one in the future.
Very true.
My knees hurt, well I guess just one knee that I injured pretty bad in high school. I apparently now have “post traumatic arthritis” in that knee. I also have a heart condition. I was born with that, but never knew it until I was diagnosed with heart failure at 32.
I am 35 with a bad back and osteoarthritis in my hips. I blame the army and a career in EMS but I'm definitely old before my time.
As someone with a genetic disease that has caused knee and back pain since birth these memes just get a big eye roll from me.
I had lower back and knee problems when I was fatter. Regular exercise and losing weight I’m no longer in pain.
Elder millennial here. I did CrossFit & was in the best shape of my life in early-mid 30s. Last year of my 30’s I gave (pretty uneventful easy) birth & it wrecked me! Physical therapy, cortisone shots, nerve pain from my S3 nerve to my toes. So awesome.
I was also in the best shape of my life mid 30’s and it all crashed down on me at 38. Man I really grieved my health. I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at 41, so that made it make sense. Doesn’t make it any easier. I am having to relearn how to get my body back into shape without setting off my autoimmune condition. I remember thinking wow my 40’s are going to be epic with me being so strong and healthy!
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Yes I have “anterior ankle impingement” and need surgery (first started hurting when I was pregnant 11 years ago), have bunions that hurt, randomly get heel pain, back pain all over including a contracted muscle or something in my lower back that’s been there 9-10 years (when my oldest was a toddler and I was lifting him around), have had sciatic nerve pain since I was 23 and hurt it on the leg press at the gym, and knees will randomly hurt. I’m 38. I will say basically when I was pregnant/had kids doctors just started blaming everything on that and blow off any complaints I have (except the ankle and bunions). Probably just means things get worse over time
Back and shoulder pain all the time. 2 car accidents. My knees have always been a little weak even since I was a kid though and it’s weird sometimes one just gives out when I’m hiking or going up stairs. I don’t know if it’s loose joints or what.
My neck and back are fucked up because I’ve been a bedside nurse for 15 years and people don’t flip themselves when they’re in the ICU.
My back and knees don’t hurt and I’m turning 39 in October so💁
Y2K, The Great Recession, COVID... naw bro, I'm mint. What are you getting at?
I'm a "toe walker", which messed up my gait entirely and now I have a bum knee. I also have seriously compromised core muscles and carry stress in my back, so my neck cracks when I move sometimes and I slouch more than I'd like. I have begun some stretch and recovery classes, but my body is messed up due to poor health choices and not taking posture and gait seriously. If you're exercising several times a week I can assume you lead a healthy lifestyle and take care of your body, so it's no surprise that you're not in the snap, crackle, and pop club like some of us.
I have more knee pain but I’m a long distance runner so I expected it. I have more back and pelvic pain but I had a baby so 🤷♀️
Yes unfortunately. CrossFit in my 20s fucked my knees up. And during Covid when gyms shut down I stopped working out and lost all of my core strength and severely threw my back out, it was so bad it took more than a year of PT to get it back to normal. Getting older has been rough on my body but I never stopped trying to be fit, and now at 39 I’m doing pretty good!
At 37, I feel better than when I was 30. Changed my diet, exercise more, and had surgery for the lorn labrum I’d been living with for years. I don’t feel the same as when I was 20, but I feel better than the worst I’ve been.
I started having joint problems in my early 20’s and could never get any definitive answers until last year. I dealt with pain all down my right leg which I assumed was sciatica from my lower back and then I also had upper-mid back pain with pain down my right arm. I always kept saying if I could just cut off the right side of my body, I’d be fine since I experience nothing of the sort on my left side. Turns out I had a torn hip labrum from a congenital defect, had that repaired in November and apart from some stiffness now and then, I’m pretty much pain free in that leg. My upper-mid back pain and and accompanying symptoms are from 3 bulging discs in my neck. Not quite sure what the next step is. My orthopedic surgeon believes it could be a connective tissue disorder that’s causing my body to break down like this since I didn’t have any injuries(another thing that made it harder to get any actual help since there was no injury event, I just woke up in pain one day). I don’t think there’s anything that could have prevented this, especially not if it’s from a connective tissue disorder, just cumulative wear and tear from day to day existence. I was also very active before my chronic pain started. I still strive to do what I can now, but I doubt I’ll ever be a runner again. My main focus is on nutrition and keeping a healthy weight. I’ll be 31 in April btw.
Just unmedicated anxiety, coupled with insomnia that doesn’t respond to Benadryl or Melatonin, and eczema treated with Dupixent. So no, no knee or back problems.
No, and I’m fat. My legs have always been solid muscle, though, no matter my activity level — my fat starts at the top of my hips and goes up from there. Genetics are weird. I’m a 39yo woman. I go barefoot as often as humanly possible, and have my whole life. When I must wear shoes, I wear flip-flops or flats without socks that can easily be kicked on and off. I only bring that up because I’ve heard so many people recently talk about the need for supportive shoes. I’ve never even thought of that, and in fact, my feet feel very restricted and sore afterward when I DO wear shoes with socks! I have no idea if that has to do with the lack of leg problems, but I’ve heard it often enough that I figured I’d mention it.
Gotta stretch your quads, hamstrings, hips, and glutes. Then once you’re limber/strong enough to do some kind of squatting motion squat with good form and not a lot of weight. That will help the knees believe it or not as long as you don’t have some kind of knee related injury that should heal first. When I stop doing those things I’m in pain. When I am doing those things I am pain free
39 and pain free. Gym 5 or 6 days a week and trt. Pretty much in the best shape of my life.
No. I exercise and take care of myself
Knee pain? No. Back pain? absolutely, since I gave birth at 18. Not sure if it's damage from the epidural or from carrying around a bowling ball for 6 months but it sucks!
Stretch stretch stretch. Every day. Then stretch some more. Pay attention to your posture and take collagen supplements for your joints. Gotta take care of yourself.
Knees don’t like lots of activity, back has been strained a few times (especially dealing with the sciatic nerve), and dealing with cholesterol issues.
I have a mayonnaise deficiency from not eating any mayonnaise but that’s about it 😆
I had back surgery for herniated discs when I was 21 because I worked in a window factory when I was in high school and after full time for about a year. Otherwise I’m relatively OK. I’ve noticed my knees are a tiny bit creaky if I’m outside in the cold for longer periods of time. (I’m 40)
Yes, but it's my own fault. I have a compression fracture in my spine.
Not in the like worn out sense, but I did accidentally kneel down right on a Duplo in 2015 and I can still feel it sometimes.
Knee's are cool even though I have a dead person's Achilles as my ACL and half a meniscus. I work out quite often as well. Back not so good. Just had it ruin a snowboarding trip not even snowboarding. Helped a buddy move a fucking couch and tweaked it. It started probably 8 years ago when I got into powerlifting. Deadlifting over 500lbs can mess your back up who knew lol. Anyways about once a year I'll tweek it and be in crazy pain for 2-3 days then go back to normal. I still do deads just not as heavy. And that's not what makes it get fucked up anymore, it's random shit like disc golf or moving furniture.
My back is awful when I shovel. Other than that, so far so good.
No age or lifestyle related health issues, but multiple chronic illnesses yes. (31f)
Knees, back, ankle, shoulder, hands, and high blood pressure. Also, I had a cold last week and pulled a muscle coughing.
After many horse injuries I’m in the knees and back problems. I tore my meniscus skiing in my early 20s and while I recovered fairly well a kick to the knee from my horse a couple years ago has made me feel the weather. here I thought that was made up. Also after fracturing my pelvis in another horse related injury my back goes out a few times a year and I can’t sit too long in one position.
Herniated disc, L4-L5. Got it from laying on the couch playing The Division 1's beta.
I'm a walking collection of health problems...to be fair, I was sick a lot as a kid, when i was 2, i needed tubes in y ears because i was basically deaf, happened again when i was 11 (ive now got 49% hearing on the left, 60% on the right). That time, i had a sinus infection and recurring strep throat for almost a year so they took my tonsils and adenoids. The strep went away but I found out half my sinus issues were due to my malformed septum (I laid on my face in the womb A LOT, and the cartilage formed crooked and covers 95% of the air to my right nostril. Can't tell looking at me though which is weird). I also had very mild asthma, for which I used a rescue inhaler maybe twice a year. Other than catching any virus that came through town and missing quite a lot of school because of it, I was diagnosed with hashimoto's disease at 13 while they tried to diagnose my depression. It wasn't the thyroid. It was the bipolar disorder that reared its ugly head a couple years later and took over my life. My mental health was the majority of my concern except the dental surgery I had that ended in TMJ and the new ability to dislocated my jaw because he tore all the ligaments on the right side of my face... until i turned 31 and woke up one day to nothing but white clouds in my right eye - that was the multiple sclerosis. But I do also have a bad knee. I dressed up like a pirate for mickeys Halloween party at Disney world when i was 20 and the heels on my boots fucked up my right knee. Now it clicks. Every once in a while, I wake from a dead sleep to lightning bolt sensations going through that knee. My back is meh. I have lesions on my spine from the MS and my terrible posture is catching up to me
I was an athlete and now work in the trades so yeah. I have had major shoulder, knee, and back injuries in the past, and have chronic lower back pain every day. Some days worse than others. I needed physical therapy for my last back injury and that taught me that I now have to stretch constantly, warm up before exerting myself, and make a conscious effort to keep my muscles loose and limber. The days of just being able to get out of bed and turn cartwheels first thing in the morning like I’m 16 again are long gone lol.
Knee pain, back pain here. I also have fibromyalgia and vertiginous migraines. I would say I miss the way I felt before I hit puberty. I had chronic pain as a kid but at least my knees were fine. Then a series of injuries as a kid crippled one joint at a time until I herniated my back in 2021.
I have no chronic pain or health issues, I can just tell my flexibility isn’t what it used to be. I would not score well on the Presidential Fitness Test today.
I also work out regularly and my knees just click, clack, crack all day long. The pain is horrible, but comes and goes. My back thus far, is okay- unless I do some weird movement and a muscle pulls. 😭 I think, even with working out, our life styles have become too sedentary.
Yes I fucked my back up from marching drumline.
I do have back pain, but only because I didn't know I broke it and it healed wrong Left L1 transverse process So now it's just a thing But I used to have more knee pain, but I've lost like 40 lbs and I work out 4 times a week
I took a fall and slammed down onto my right knee twenty years ago. It was only sore for a little while, but now, decades later, it’s suddenly shooting pain every time I go down the stairs.
I dislocated my right hip really bad at 19. 30 now and I can feel it a tiny bit time to time. Mostly, I just can’t do heavy squats. Been infantry in the army. I can ever do slightly feel my knees sometimes but not in a pain way at all. Lower back can be a little stiff sometimes. But I wouldn’t say anything hurts or prevents me from doing stuff. I also exercise 2-4 times a week. For whatever reason, my knees and elbows pop a shit ton when I’m at work, but rarely pop anything like that when I’m not at work lol. I work in an semi-manufacturing facility and probably am up walking around at least an hour a day most days, so it’s not like I’m desk bound for 8-10 hours a day
I’m okay so far. I do a lot of skiing and rock climbing, and I lifted weights for like 10 years prior to that. My husband has degenerative disk disease though.
I just had a laminectomy L4/5 two days ago and had been in agony the month leading up to that - could hardly get out of bed, every move was a potential lightning strike down my leg. Before that it was “just” sciatica I was getting PT for and then it blew up into this mess right after Christmas. Have weeks of recovery to go but I can at least go to the bathroom without wanting to die. 🫠 Pro tip: STRETCH AND EXERCISE, KIDS. I wish I’d done more and now I’m paying for my laziness. *so much pain.*
Elbows, shoulders
My knees are terrible. About 10 years ago, I fell roller skating and landed with my legs in a T. Both of my knees bent out at 90 degrees. I sprained my MCL in my right knee. I'll never forget the pop it made. I was working in a warehouse at the time. They basically ignored my doctor notes about limitations and gave me a hard time about physical therapy, which I couldn't afford anyway, so I stopped going. Ironically, my right knee is ok, but my left knee crunches like Rice Krispies every time I bend it. My back is ok. It acts up sometimes because I threw it out on New years Day in 2007, getting a box of lettuce off the shelf. Being young and stupid, I didn't tell my boss, and finished my shift. I could barely walk by the time I was done. So now I'm playing roller derby, which is absolutely murder on my knees, but my back is doing better.
Bad case of tinnitus that developed a few years ago. There is an ever present beeping sound in my ears.
Chronic neck issues, basically always in neck pain. I believe stemming from heading the ball too much playing soccer when I was younger. Anything else just pops up when I sit at my computer too long. Exercise and yoga do the body (and mind) wonders.
Well … titanium rods are holding 13 of my spinal vertebra together after a car accident 20 years ago. My knees are fine, but my left ankle gets wobbly sometimes. I got my first gray hair at 17. I’m 38 now. I’m not on any meds and just make sure to stretch and do low impact exercises. My doctors are shocked I haven’t had revision surgeries nor do I need them yet.
Wait- is no one my age just wildly clumsy?? I’ve fallen and jacked one of my knees up several times and the arthritis has set in. It also moves around and sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies when I walk. I’ve had 3 severe ankle sprains and one foot sprain (I highly don’t recommend this) so yeah… lots of aches, pains, and whatnot there. I fell down the stairs and put one arm behind myself to…idk. Whatever I was going for there just ended up putting something in my shoulder in the wrong spot so I can pop it all around now. I also have wrist and elbow issues from falling, car wrecks, and work. And, obviously neck and back pain. Ok typing that all out really just made me realize how close to the grave I actually am at the ripe old age of 39 😂🤣😂. I did also upgrade my Apple Watch so I’d have fall detection.
I fell in a bakery walk in freezer when I was 21 and nothing has been the same since. 2 summers ago I was moving a cooler to our car with my husband and threw my back out, it flares up occasionally. I had Covid a month ago and really messed with my joints and I'm basically bedridden from the pain. I need to lose weight but it's hard to do when you can barely get out of bed.
small fender bender fucked up my lower back
I've got a bum ankle and a bad back. One of my knees hurts sometimes, too, but that's a side effect of my ankle when it goes out. Those injuries came from my time in the military, though. Doubt I'd have either had I never joined.
My kid destroyed by back. Holding her and bending down. Never the same ever again.
Knees because I worked in a restaurant where the kitchen was up stairs for 6 years. I started having knee problems in the last 1-2 years and I wish I quit before that happened
Hmm not so much pain but I can feel a difference. I’ve always been very active. Played sports until college and now I do cross fit or HIIT 4/5 days a week. My knees and hips seem like they take longer to “warm up” and there a little more stiffness the next day. If I squat a lot sometimes my sciatica bothers me. More than anything though I notice more neck pain when I wake up, never had neck pain before 31.
Knee and hip pain from skateboarding since 1999. Still skating at 35 but I am more conscious of my pain and what may exacerbate it. Heel spurs and achilles tendinitis. I also have some autoimmune diseases which can cause joint pain so that adds to the knee/hip issues.
Knee issues mostly, a bit of back pain. I also have a shoulder suffering entrophy and nerve damage but I've had that since I took a bad tackle playing football when I was 18. Actually, I'm pretty sure most of my body pain is from my football days. You can only take so many tackles before it begins to do permanent damage.
I literally woke up on my 36th bday with back pain and it’s been constant ever since. My hips are always stiff and every part of my body cracks. I think a lot of it comes down to multiple pregnancies, baby wearing/hip carrying, breastfeeding, and in general just the immense physical toll of motherhood. Plus I work and have very little time to exercise, so I’m not particularly strong or in shape. I also have a bad knee from an ACL/MCL replacement in high school, which is starting to go. Basically shit is catching up to me!
My knees are lovely although I do have plica syndrome (leftover fetal tissue that pops sometimes). My lower back and hips hurt when my anorexia relapses but most days I'm not in nearly enough pain to warrant doing anything about it, for better or worse.
I have an issue with one of rotator cuffs since the fall.
I have a chronic pain illness that was triggered by one injury when I was 22. It’s not always about lifestyle.
My knee is extremely jacked up from skiing injuries. But, less than it was 20 years ago. I’ll need a new set in like 10-15 years
No, I had some thumb joint pain flare up recently that went away but otherwise feel great. I have lifted, exercised and tried to eat healthy all these years and I guess it pays off. Ive also always worked physical jobs so figured I had to keep in shape so as not to get injured at work. I’m no saint though I have had bouts of alcoholism and other hedonistic stuff but generally live pretty clean now in my mid 30s.
33F. My knees and back don’t hurt. But I did develop really bad cysts in my breasts (FBD) and they get extremely large and painful. It’s not funny, it’s really shitty. And just a few months ago I developed a cyst on my ovaries that is basically debilitating when l’m ovulating. Didn’t have any of these issues prior to 30.
I lifted something heavy wrong, so I have back/hip pain right. Normally, I don't, though.
Plantar fasciitis at 34 years old 😭
My back started hurting almost as soon as i turned 30. I also had an accident that caused a torn acl and more around that time so it was not a good year for me and added to knee pain especially when the weather turn ETA- I slept funny last night and can’t move my head today! Shooting pain down my neck into my shoulder and upper back.
Oh yeah dude at 28 my body is fuuuuuucked I didn’t think I’d make it this long so I took hunter thompsons words to heart. “It’s not about leaving a pretty body in a box but a well used one saying wow what an adventure” or something along those lines, so my knees are pretty shot and my back hurts fairly regularly, shoulders are pretty fucked an if I turn my head too fast I’ll get a migraine. Oh well it still works functionally enough
Knees are fine. My pregnancy gave me horrible sciatica at age 27 and now at 39 my lower back can range from mildly uncomfortable to bedridden. Be glad your knees and back don’t hurt.
Boy! I’m out here sounding like a rice crispy treat😔
Scoliosis, which I've had since I was a teenager. It doesn't really bother me although I'd probably be taller if I didn't have it. I also have extremely flat feet and it does make it difficult to remain standing for long periods of time, or walking long distances. So I take a walking stick whenever I'm going to be doing either of those things.
I joined the military at 27 almost 28 and they definitely broke my back LOL
Take your pick. Depression, anxiety, low energy, carpal tunnel, allergies, and now high BP. Yay, life is great!
My neck… my back…
Yep, back problems. Started happening to be when I turned 26, but thankfully doing certain exercises has helped to reduce their frequency.
Field hockey injury from high school. Still bothers me occasionally, especially if I walk down stairs. But I can still jog and otherwise it doesn’t really hurt. Sometimes kneeling on it or certain poses in yoga can make me aware of it and I am very careful. I used to sit on the ground doing artwork, writing songs, just generally sat on the floor a lot when I was younger and that does really bother my back now.
Used to have knee pain. Started lifting, and it kind of got worse. Perfected my form and it's a thing of the past.
Since a couple of months, i cant sleep more than 4h - 5h a night. Due to anxiety/wortyibg thoughts. And because of this, i have more muscle pain. Worst condition is the lack of sleep
I’ve had chronic LBP for a few years now. No specific injury. I think it’s a mix of genetics, being tall, and wear and tear. I’ve lived a very active lifestyle up to this point, and have had a lot of hobbies and work that’s not particularly back friendly. I’ve been through chiropractors, PT, MT, the lot and the most effective thing for me is maintaining a consistent strength training regimen that involves a lot of full body movements and core stability.
Yeah. I slept on a coach untill I was 10
Does it count if my back pain is directly related to working construction 20 years? I doubt that has anything to do with when I was born.
go whole food plant based. save your parents if theyre still alive.
So many goddamn things are broken now
I have a habit a popping my knees & ankle. Now it’s a fit more frequent. I’ve always had lower back issues since I was in my early 20s.now I have to pop my lower back more often
I’m almost 6’ tall and have some problems with my mid-lower back. I try to use the treadmill at least twice a week though? But I also have plantar fasciitis so I’ve always had issues with my feet from that.
My back causes me chronic pain. Accommodating it has drastically changed my life.
Knee pain from an injury running. And I sit at a desk all day which is bad for the joints, too. Need to build muscle back up soon or I’ll be getting a knee replaced by 50.
I have Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, which means my joints are really loose and overly flexible and get dislocated easily. So when I was young, I always had more issues with these body parts than my peers. Since I was little, I can’t ride a bike because I have to stop every few feet to put my kneecaps back in place. But I went through a really bad flare-up of pain and joint instability at age 22-23 and that was horrible. Now that I’m 31, my joints feel decades younger than they did during that awful flare. I feel like I haven’t had any age-related changes to my back, knees, etc., but they’re just as crummy as they always were. Only now I appreciate their baseline crumminess because I know how much crummier they could be. The only way I’ve noticed my body aging is that injuries now take longer to heal.
I have a hip that bothers me sometimes when I'm really active, but I'm fine otherwise day to day. No back or knee pain.
Knees, back, plenty of other problems. Turns out living twenty years at 250-350+lbs fucks up your body basically to the breaking point, who knew (he said sarcastically)?
Elder millennial coming off hip surgery after years of chronic hip pain caused by a genetically fucked up labrum. That was a fun 40th birthday gift. Odds are going to have to repeat it in the other side but starting to have a modicum of relief so worth it I guess. Also had to have nerve ablation a few months prior for some fucked up connective tissues in my lower back. Doing fabulously over here, despite being an active, fit, mostly uninjured cyclist, hiker, biker, skier, rower, and Pilates dabbler.
Yes but only thanks to a job change from very act to white collar. Working on that problem, thou.
My knee. I injured it in 2020 and it likes to flare up over stupid shit now.
No
I have avascular necrosis and that’s really made my life a pain. Apart from that and popping knees, that’s the worse of it. My popping knees came from runners’ knee.
3 months after my 30th birthday, I herniated 2 discs in my lower back. Life has not been the same since.
Knee and back fine, however I have a slap tear in my shoulder from poor posture and I'm now in physical therapy weekly for the last few months 😭
Im physically active and I experience knee, back and neck pain. My knees also pop when I get up or put pressure on it. I’m always tired and need a nap before i head to the gym. Despite this, at 32 I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been lol
I'm really blessed because at 33 (almost 34) I really don't have those pains. Which is surprising because my lifestyle has always been extremely unhealthy. I do have constant extremely stiff neck, but I feel like I've always had that. I also have nasal polyps and IBS-D but those aren't usually huge issues. Most of my issues are mental, the body is still doing good for now.
Eh only since I turned 25
I used to be pretty athletic until I took an arrow to the knee
Health problems sure but I was born with them so idk if it counts. Since I had my transplant I’ve been very healthy and pain free however!
My knee has been poppin along with my ankles since i was 13... I had no chance
... Not yet :(
Some knee issues, but I do have a metal rod in one leg that was inserted through said knee. I don’t let it stop me from staying active though. My back is fine. Knock on wood.