Why Baby Boomers Are Facing a Surge in Poor Musculoskeletal (MSK) Health

Childhood MSK issues were often overlooked by GPs, leading to unintended consequences for adult health today

We’re routinely told that we’re living longer than previous generations, but the facts are that today’s “baby boomers” are in worse health than their ancestors.

A study published in 2024 describes a “generational drift” whereby younger generations tend to have worse health than previous generations at the same age. Many baby boomers are now dealing with persistent pain, reduced mobility and limitations to daily living due to musculoskeletal (MSK) issues that went untreated in childhood, which in turn impacts on their current mental health and independence. Something that their parents or even grandparents never suffered with.

This can’t just be written off in terms of the effects of mere aging or the environment. I meet many people born during the baby boomer era (approx. 1946 – 1964) who suffer from MSK problems in later life that can partly be traced back to under-recognition and under-treatment of the symptoms by GPs in their youth.

An earlier study from 2015 emphasised that under-treated and poorly managed MSK issues in adolescents can set a trajectory towards persistent pain syndromes decades later. The study also reiterates that early-life MSK symptoms may interact with modern physiological stressors and lifestyle factors (e.g. sedentary occupations, smoking, increased obesity, etc) to compound the risk of ongoing chronic pain.

MSK and “the long arm of childhood”

I’m not criticising the health profession in any way. Diagnosis and treatment of MSK issues and chronic pain has come a long way since the 1960s and 1970s, when education and practice in the UK placed relatively little emphasis on MSK medicine, and there were few if any referral pathways to physiotherapy or other complementary health services.

This was brought home to me a few months ago when I met a gentleman in his early sixties who had suffered with back and hip pain for as long as he could remember. As is usual with new clients I take a full medical history, especially details about any long-standing issues that have been present since childhood or adolescence, since in many cases chronic pain can arise from the cumulative damage of years of misdiagnosis.

My client told me the story that in his mid-teens the recurring and chronic aches in his back and hips were dismissed by his GP as “growing pains” and that he ought to stand up straighter! This casual comment from a doctor received at such an impressionable age had a long-lasting impact on my client. Until the day he met me he had never again self-referred to a medical professional for those issues, apart from a few sessions with an osteopath which were ineffective. His pain had just become “part of daily life” (his words, not mine) and he had become convinced that no doctor would be able to treat him.

How early dismissal of symptoms leads to later suffering with MSK conditions

While modern primary care guidelines and enhanced GP training have improved awareness of the benefits of early interventions for MSK conditions, it’s too late for many baby boomers who reached adulthood before these changes took place. Which means they are entering old age with under-managed MSK conditions that require more intensive therapies – none of which may have been necessary with more timely care decades earlier.

Today’s baby boomers are more likely than earlier generations to experience disabling MSK conditions such as osteoarthritis and chronic back pain alongside other chronic illnesses such as diabetes or obesity. They now need more healthcare, more surgical interventions, and more medicine to manage those conditions. This reflects – in part – the missed opportunities that early intervention would have resolved.

Like my client mentioned above, baby boomers often found their complaints were minimalised as “nothing serious,” told they’d “grow out of it”, were dismissed altogether (“stand up straight!”), or were prescribed painkillers and sent away. There was also a cultural perception that pain should be endured without complaint, especially among young men. As a result over the years, they may have developed negative coping strategies such as activity avoidance, or even be suffering from ongoing anxiety, depression, or mistrust of medical advice, hindering future engagement with the developing healthcare services that could have helped them.

The evolution of MSK care

Attitudes and practices have evolved significantly over recent decades, with primary care guidelines and enhanced GP training vastly improving awareness of the importance of early intervention for MSK conditions.

Today, healthcare providers are equipped with sophisticated tools for early detection and management of MSK disorders e.g. X-rays, MRI scans, allowing for timely interventions that can mitigate progression and improve outcomes. The emphasis on early intervention has not only reduced the burden on secondary care services but has also empowered patients to participate actively in their own healthcare journeys. Moreover, interdisciplinary collaboration between healthcare professionals has strengthened, fostering a holistic approach that addresses not just the symptoms but also the underlying causes of MSK conditions.

As a result, patients now benefit from personalised treatment plans that consider their unique needs and preferences, reflecting a comprehensive shift towards preventative healthcare and improved long-term health outcomes.

How assisted stretching with AquaStretch ® can help with MSK issues in baby boomers

But what about the baby boomers whose needs were discounted at a young age? For them it’s now perhaps a question of managing their condition with the aim of reducing their reliance on painkillers and helping them become more flexible and physically robust as they enter old age.

My whole ethos is to provide natural pain relief via a thorough examination of the issues my clients are facing on a day-to-day basis, then delivering a personalised therapy and exercise programme built around what they want to achieve. The client mentioned above opted for a course of AquaStretch assisted stretching with me, and noticed an immediate improvement in his pain levels and flexibility after just one session. His feedback? “I should have done this years ago!”

AquaStretch is a unique form of water therapy that can be very beneficial for those suffering from MSK problems due to the exceptional properties of water. The buoyancy of the water reduces the impact on joints, while the warmth can relax muscles and ease pain, allowing for an improved range of motion and flexibility. This can lead to reduced pain, increased mobility, and faster recovery from injuries among many other benefits.

If you’d like to know more about AquaStretch or how Mobility Therapies can help you manage the symptoms of MSK issues or chronic pain then please get in touch.

Mobility Therapies – live the life you want, not a life in pain.