How To Deal with Pain in Arthritis
How to deal with pain in arthritis
How
to get no pain yet all gain…
Persons living with
arthritis or a related condition often live with pain which is one of the
hardest factors experienced with the disease.
In order to know how to combat the pain you must learn to manage the
disease. The first consideration to determine
is which type of arthritis the patient has.
Knowing the particular arthritis will help to determine the patient’s
treatment. Before you begin to develop a
treatment plan, you must understand some concepts regarding pain.
Not all pain is alike
Pain
experienced by arthritis patients is not always the same. There are many different types of pain just
as there are many different types of arthritis and not all patients will
respond the same to treatment. It may be
necessary to try several different treatments before finding one that works for
the patient.
Why pain occurs…
Pain occurs because it is
telling us that something is wrong. When
an injury is experienced, nerves in the area where the injury originated
release chemical signals and other nerves transmit the signals to the
brain. Pain is a sign that something is
wrong and you need to act. For example,
if you touch a hot plate, your brain immediately receives the signals and forces
you to let go of the plate. This form of
pain is a protection that helps keep you safe.
Long-lasting pain, such as
that experienced with conditions such as fibromyalgia or arthritis is a
different type of pain. While the pain
is alerting the body that something is wrong, it is not as easy to relieve the
pain. This type of pain can be
debilitating to the patient and must be managed to enhance the patient’s sense
of well-being and quality of life.
What
controls pain?
The brain and spinal cord
includes a system of nerves in which pain signals travel through. The body often tries to intercept these
signals to stop them. This is done by
creating chemicals that interfere or block the signals. These chemicals are termed endorphins, and
are morphine-like substances, killing the pain and decreasing the pain
sensation.
What
causes pain in arthritis?
There are many factors that
cause pain with arthritis which include:
Inflammation: Is the process that is
responsible for causing swelling and redness in the joints of the patient.
Injury to joint tissues: This is a result of
pressure, injury, stress or the disease process on the joints of the patient.
Body fatigue: Is
a result of the disease process, which can make the pain intensified and more
difficult to handle.
Mental depression or stress: Arthritis patients often
have limited movement and are no longer able to enjoy various activities making
depression a serious factor in the disease.
The patient can become wrapped up in a vicious circle of pain, stress,
depression and a limited or loss of abilities making the management of pain
more difficult.
What increases the pain
associated with arthritis?
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Focusing
on pain
- Overdoing
physical activity
- Stress
- Increased
disease activity
What reduces the pain
associated with arthritis?
- Cold
and heat treatments
- Humor
- Topical
pain relievers
- Distraction
- Massage
- Medications
- Relaxation
- Appropriate
exercise
- Positive
attitude and pleasant thoughts
How to control arthritis pain at home
Thermotherapy (Temperature
therapy)
Stiffness
and pain of arthritis can be reduced by using heat and cold treatments. Placing cold pack on the affected area will
help to numb the area and to reduce the swelling and inflammation. Cold packs
are particularly useful for joint pain due to a flare up. With heat, muscles relax and stimulate the
blood circulation. Heating lamps and
heating pads are forms of dry heat; where as, baths and heated wash cloths are
forms of moist heat. Both of which are
useful.
Sleep
therapy
When our bodies sleep, they
are restoring energy. With arthritis
patients this helps to manage the pain.
Sleep therapy also helps to reduce the pressure on the joints and helps
to decrease swelling and pain. The
average person needs seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you feel sleepy at various times
throughout the day, take a brief nap. If
you have trouble sleeping through the night, then avoid the nap and relax
quietly during the day.
Massage
therapy
Massaging your muscles brings
relief to the painful area. Massage
therapy can be done by yourself or a profession. If you are massaging yourself then:
- Stop
if you begin to experience pain
- Don’t
massage joints that are extremely painful or swollen
- Use
oil or lotion to help the massaging technique
Relaxation therapy
Relaxation therapy does
help to reverse the pain associated with arthritis and allows the patient to
have a sense of well-being and control their life. It is vital that the patient learn ways to
control and calm the mind and body.
There are various methods that are used to help patients relax such as:
Hypnosis: Hypnosis is a deep relaxation
technique which is intended to help the patient release themselves from their anxieties
and thoughts. The technique is pleasant
and soothing and effective in relieving pain.
.
Guided imagery: This technique utilizes
pleasant images which the mind focuses on to help guide away from the pain.
Prayer is
very relaxing and comforting for some people.
Herbal
therapy:
The herbal supplements
works by removing the primary cause of the pain, which with arthritis
inflammation and stiffness, and helps to ease the arthritis symptoms.
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