I am 71 years old and have led a fairly active life. I was a runner for 35 years (without major injuries), played weekly tennis, bowled, lifted weights, golfed, rode my bike, did more than my share of mini-construction and landscaping projects, and, of course, did everything necessary outside to maintain my suburban "estate." But aside from the occasional minor injury, pain has never been an issue for me. No chronic bad back, no nagging knees, none of that.
But in the past two years, my life has been transformed into a steady campaign to avoid or minimize various forms of pain. I always use a banister going down stairs, for fear that my right knee will give out. I can't raise my right arm at all without pain, let alone lift anything heavy. When I can't avoid lifting I just live with the pain. Bending over or stooping down, turning to reach something - hell, even rolling over in bed are all done slowly in order to minimize the inevitable pain that comes with these movements. The only time when I'm not in pain is when I'm sitting still.
There are no actual "injuries" to be resolved. It's just aging, arthritis, bursitis, and whatever else is part of the mix of getting old. Stretching helps a little bit, but only makes the pain more tolerable, temporarily.
For years I have been listening to advertisements on the radio for a product called, "Relief Factor," which, taken daily, promises to remove the pain of aging. I don't know if that is the exact wording they use, but that's basically it. A few years ago I called in and ordered their product, just to see if it would have any effect (my pain wasn't all that bad at the time). Their pricing is a little bit devious. They charge you $20 for a "three-week supply," then if you want to keep taking it, they send you a month at a time (maybe more), but the ongoing cost after the first three weeks is NINETY DOLLARS A MONTH. That is significant cash, to me. But the claim is that if it is going to work for you, you will know it by the end of the three week trial period.
Well, the stuff doesn't have any actual taste - it is a small pile of capsules - but it smells like industrial waste. In the split second before you place it in your mouth, your brain tells you, This is the last thing you want to be consuming. So I took it for a couple days, but the foul smell and the high cost convinced me to just forget about it and live with my little bit of pain.
Parenthetically I will mention that my sister-in-law swears by the stuff. She is the odd combination of a hypochondriac who actually does have several serious medical issues (she is 75-ish). She has been known to cut short a vacation because she forgot her Relief Factor pills and wants to get back home to get back on them.
Now, with my increased levels of chronic pain, I think I understand why people would be willing to spend more than a thousand dollars a year on what is surely nothing more than a pile of strategically-chosen dietary supplements. So with a couple weeks supply remaining in my starter-pack, I've started holding my nose and taking them again. Three packets a day to start. If it works I will go ahead and order the stuff. It will be worth it to get rid of this pain.
Has anyone else out there tried it? They claim that 80% of the people who buy the three-week starter pack continue it. But for how long? I know my sister-in-law is still taking it after a couple years of use. My first day was Tuesday, January 5th.
But in the past two years, my life has been transformed into a steady campaign to avoid or minimize various forms of pain. I always use a banister going down stairs, for fear that my right knee will give out. I can't raise my right arm at all without pain, let alone lift anything heavy. When I can't avoid lifting I just live with the pain. Bending over or stooping down, turning to reach something - hell, even rolling over in bed are all done slowly in order to minimize the inevitable pain that comes with these movements. The only time when I'm not in pain is when I'm sitting still.
There are no actual "injuries" to be resolved. It's just aging, arthritis, bursitis, and whatever else is part of the mix of getting old. Stretching helps a little bit, but only makes the pain more tolerable, temporarily.
For years I have been listening to advertisements on the radio for a product called, "Relief Factor," which, taken daily, promises to remove the pain of aging. I don't know if that is the exact wording they use, but that's basically it. A few years ago I called in and ordered their product, just to see if it would have any effect (my pain wasn't all that bad at the time). Their pricing is a little bit devious. They charge you $20 for a "three-week supply," then if you want to keep taking it, they send you a month at a time (maybe more), but the ongoing cost after the first three weeks is NINETY DOLLARS A MONTH. That is significant cash, to me. But the claim is that if it is going to work for you, you will know it by the end of the three week trial period.
Well, the stuff doesn't have any actual taste - it is a small pile of capsules - but it smells like industrial waste. In the split second before you place it in your mouth, your brain tells you, This is the last thing you want to be consuming. So I took it for a couple days, but the foul smell and the high cost convinced me to just forget about it and live with my little bit of pain.
Parenthetically I will mention that my sister-in-law swears by the stuff. She is the odd combination of a hypochondriac who actually does have several serious medical issues (she is 75-ish). She has been known to cut short a vacation because she forgot her Relief Factor pills and wants to get back home to get back on them.
Now, with my increased levels of chronic pain, I think I understand why people would be willing to spend more than a thousand dollars a year on what is surely nothing more than a pile of strategically-chosen dietary supplements. So with a couple weeks supply remaining in my starter-pack, I've started holding my nose and taking them again. Three packets a day to start. If it works I will go ahead and order the stuff. It will be worth it to get rid of this pain.
Has anyone else out there tried it? They claim that 80% of the people who buy the three-week starter pack continue it. But for how long? I know my sister-in-law is still taking it after a couple years of use. My first day was Tuesday, January 5th.
