How I deal with pain as I get older:
-always stretch. dynamic stretch before activity, and static stretch after activity
-keep in shape, especially muscle work. as we get older our muscle tissue wears down causing more stress on joints/ligaments. Proper sleep is also very important.
-if I have a specific painful area, but I know I can play on it without making it worse, I take some liquid capsaicin and apply to the area and then wear a brace or tape over. The burn distracts your nervous system from the other localized pain for a few hours. I find Icy Hot, BenGay, etc doesn't work nearly as well.
-Ibuprofen is your friend, but don't take too much as it can screw up your digestive system too.