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Continuing Education Press Releases

The University of Utah Teaches Seniors How to Age Pain-Free

Free Event on Aug. 16, 2011 Offers Information and Tips on How to Live without Muscle Pain

July 27, 2011 – The National Pain Foundation estimates as many as three in four older adults live with chronic pain.  However, studies have shown that simple interventions can dramatically reduce, and even eliminate, many of the causes of chronic pain.

On Aug. 16, 2011, The University of Utah will offer insight into healthy aging. Free to anyone age 50 and over, this special event— titled Maintain Your Body: Strategies for Living Without Muscle Pain — features a keynote by Stevenson Zike, founder of the Center for Muscle Therapy. Zike will explain what muscle pain is, where it comes from and provide simple techniques for preventing and eliminating muscle pain throughout one's lifetime.

"There's no such thing as permanent pain that comes from muscles," said Zike. "Muscles are 100% fixable, all the time. You just have to know how to work with them."

Presented by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the U — a member-based organization that offers classes and special activities to people over 50 —  Maintain Your Body will also help participants with another component of health aging, maintaining the brain, with previews of upcoming opportunities for older learners in the Salt Lake valley.

"So many people have the mistaken belief that pain and other so-called age related issues are normal and inevitable parts of aging," said Cathy House, Director of Osher at the U. "We want to give them simple things they can do at home to dramatically improve their wellbeing, and challenge those assumptions about aging."

Chronic pain has long been linked to depression, decreased mobility, and sleep disturbances, but recent studies have also linked it to significant increases in fall risk for older adults. A 2009 study showed that people over 70 with chronic pain had a 50% greater risk of falling.

"This is not simply about being uncomfortable," added Zike. "There are serious health risks for older adults associated with ignoring pain."

The National Pain Foundation estimates that as many as one-half of older adults who live independently, and three-fourths of those in nursing homes suffer from chronic pain. A 10-year study by the American Pain Foundation found a 38% rise in chronic pain, and a 27% rise in missed worked due to pain among the entire U.S. full-time workforce since 1996.

However, a new study published in the Gerontological Society of America found that improved management of chronic pain can significantly reduce disability in older adults.

Steve Zike has been practicing muscle-specific therapy for over 20 years, with an emphasis on neuromuscular rehabilitation, kinesiology, and trigger point therapy. He has been a lecturer at the University of Utah School of Medicine and the Myotherapy College of Utah, and has been a member of the American Massage Therapy Association's National Sports Massage Team.

"So many adults, especially those over 50, suffer needlessly under the assumption that chronic pain is unavoidable as you age," said Zike. "We're showing people simple things they can do at home to dramatically improve their lives."

Maintain Your Body: Strategies for Preventing and Eliminating Muscle Pain will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Aug. 16, 2011 at Rice Eccles Stadium. RSVP is required and can be made by calling 801-585-5442 or online at www.osher.utah.edu.

About Osher
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at The University of Utah provides opportunities for intellectually stimulating, affordable, non-credit learning and for meaningful social engagement to people 50 and over. It is part of a network of over 100 Osher Institutes at colleges and universities across the country, all funded by the Bernard Osher Foundation. For more information, registration dates, and course offerings, contact the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at (801) 585-5442 or visit www.osher.utah.edu to download a program catalog.
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