Arthritis Pain

Arthritis at a Glance:

• Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints.
• Symptoms include pain and limited function of joints.
• Arthritis sufferers include men and women and children.
• A rheumatologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the nonsurgical treatment of rheumatic illnesses, especially arthritis. They are often referred to as Medical Detectives since they have a keen interest in have special interests in unexplained illnesses, arthritis, joint or muscle pain, and autoimmune diseases.
• Earlier and accurate diagnosis can help to prevent irreversible damage and disability.
• According to the CDC, 70 million Americans have arthritis and/or chronic joint symptoms, a significant increase from 43 million in 1997. So you’re not alone.
• Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia are the most common types.

Arthritis, in its countless forms, is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting over 47 million Americans, of which 27 million Americans have osteoarthritis, a form of arthritis where there is an excess amount of wear and tear to the cartilage that lines our joints. Many arthritis sufferers are under medical care, the balance have mild symptoms today that may progress over time to more debilitating forms according to the CDC. Worldwide it is estimated that 350 million people have arthritis, thus you are not alone.

There is no ‘typical’ arthritis sufferer, more than half of those with arthritis are under 65 years of age. Nearly 60% of Americans with arthritis are women and 294,000 U.S. children under age 18 (1 in 250) have been diagnosed with arthritis or another rheumatologic condition according to the CDC.

It’s been estimated that the total cost of the arthritis in the United States, is over $50 billion dollars annually. This dollar amount while substantial only covers the cost related to hospitalizations, doctor visits, medications, physical therapy, nursing-home care, and lost wages.

An additional $2+ billion is spent annually in the United States on unproven remedies (products that ‘cleanse the body of toxins to allow the natural curative power to heal’, herbal supplements, vitamins, and other “natural” supplements for example) by patients who attempt to manage their symptoms on their own.

There is no cure for arthritis presently; companies that represent that they have found a “cure” should be avoided. In addition, no one other than you and your medical care team should recommend potential surgeries or drugs. In addition we strongly suggest that any medications you take should have passed the scrutiny of the FDA.

The Arthritis Foundation cites that there are more than 100 different types of arthritis. Some are related to wear and tear of cartilage (osteoarthritis); all are associated with inflammation, several are the result of an overactive immune system such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) for example.

Therefore it is no surprise that arthritis pain management is the primary concern of arthritis sufferers, employers and health care providers. Presently there is no cure for arthritis, there are things you can do to assist in relieving symptoms and that will vastly improve quality of life.

Pain is not unique to arthritis suffers; therefore the information below can help with other medical conditions and disease states that cause pain.

Think of pain management as a multi-step program, the first step is to acknowledge that you are suffering from pain and have a desire to actively be involved in your healthcare and pain management:

1. Education is key and the cornerstone to power. We firmly believe that knowledge is power, educate yourself, your family and caregivers on the disease state and your medical diagnosis. Develop a plan of action where you work closely with your medical team to develop a pain treatment plan for your specific type of arthritis. Scour the internet on well-regarded websites such as The Mayo Clinic, The Arthritis Foundation for example to allow yourself to stay current on the latest research and treatments for arthritis pain, ask your medical team questions about your pain and disease, and be sure ALL of your healthcare providers (PCP, physical therapist, rheumatologist, pain management specialist, orthopedic and others) are on the same page. Words of Wisdom: Knowledge is Power, become educated on your disease state and actively engage in discussions on your overall health, not just your pain management with your healthcare team.
2. Be the captain of your own ship when it comes to healthcare, if you don’t no one else will. Numerous clinical studies have and continue to document that individuals who are actively engaged in and manage their arthritis or other disease state have less pain and fewer visits to their physicians. Work with all of your medical providers to assure that they are on the ‘same page’ at all times. They need to be aware of what each other are doing with you and the medications you have been prescribed along with any other treatments they may be doing. Words of Wisdom: Take control of your health and be actively involved in your care and pain management, you need to be the captain of your own ship!
3. People with arthritis will often feel pain in their hips, knees, ankles and other areas including the joints of the fingers and spine. Today there are a wide range of medications and alternative medical therapies, e.g., massage, cold and heat therapy are utilized to lessen the symptoms of arthritis and pain in general In addition to decreasing inflammation and the disease-state progression. Taking your prescribed medications as directed so that you stay in front of the pain this will greatly assist with your pain management. Work with your medical team – Doctor, Physical Therapist and Occupational Therapist to find the right combination for you. It’s fairly easy to reduce the inflammation within your joints utilizing cold therapy solutions like Arctic Ease® during everyday tasks without losing your mobility; this can help keep arthritis pain at bay. Words of Wisdom: Work with your healthcare providers to find the right medication and other strategies such as massage, cold and hot therapy for noninvasive pain relief. Be proactive to reduce the stress on the your joints and muscles and to reduce the inflammation by utilizing cold therapy solutions like Arctic Ease® which allows you to keep your mobility during everyday tasks can help keep arthritis pain at bay.
4. We think of pain as something that must be managed rather than prevented. It may not be possible to eliminate arthritis pain completely; there are many things that can be done to control pain, including participating in a regular low impact exercise program. It’s important to keep active and moving, too much rest may decrease circulation to vital organs along with joints and supporting muscles and tendons this can lead to the pain becoming worse. Weak muscles are painful. Exercise reduces pain by increasing the flow of blood and nutrients to muscles, ligaments and tendons – supporting structures for all of your joints while decreasing the stiffness in your joints. Stretching is one of the most overlooked steps to exercising and one of the most critical. Start stretching from the time you wake up before you ever get out of bed. Slowly stretching your calves, arms, and neck muscles while still in bed loosens them and makes them more flexible allowing you to exercise during the day. Examples of low impact exercise are walking, yoga, pilates, tai chi, water aerobics or road cycling on flat roads or on a stationary cycling. Strengthening exercises such as weight training help you build the muscles that support your joints. Mix up your routine by mix things up, walk one day, then bike the next. Slowly work to increasing your speed, working in intervals of a fast lap followed by a slower lap. Change you walking or cycling path by adding in hills. Ask your medical care team if occupational or physical therapy may help you maintain your daily activity levels. Be proactive to reduce the stress on the your joints and muscles to reduce the inflammation by utilizing cold therapy solutions like Arctic Ease® during everyday tasks can help keep arthritis pain at bay. Words of Wisdom: Exercise will lessen your pain as you increase blood flow and nutrients to supporting structures of your joints, and decrease the stiffness you feel. Control of Pain is Possible.
5. In addition your diet may potentially be impacting your level of pain and inflammation, avoid junk foods and eat a healthy balanced low fat diet, this will facilitate the ability to maintain a proper weight for your height. Being overweight puts extra stress on the joints, which escalates the risk of wear-and-tear on joints along with cartilage damage. The pressure in the joints of your lower body [hips, knees and feet] is magnified by the force of impact when you’re walking, every pound of weight you lose equates to a decrease in pressure of 3 to 6 pounds on your knees. Losing as few as 10 pounds may cut your risk of developing knee osteoarthritis by 50 percent! Weight loss will also reduce general inflammation in your body. Words of Wisdom: A healthy balanced low fat diet along with as little as a 10 pound weight loss will reduce overall general inflammation in your body and may cut your risk of developing knee osteoarthritis by 50%!
6. Research continues to show that smoking is a deadly habit that leads to cardiovascular and cerebral diseases such as strokes, heart failure and more in addition to many forms of cancer. Smoking can also increase your risk of osteoporosis and it is well documented to lead to longer post-surgical recovery. Smoking can also increase challenges with certain forms of arthritis. If you smoke it’s time to quit. This small act will ease joint pain and also lowers your risk for many other diseases, such as coronary artery disease, suffering a stroke, lung cancer, lower your blood pressure, and more, it’s never too late to quit. Words of Wisdom: If you have not quit smoking yet, it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. If you smoke it’s time to quit. This small act will ease joint pain and potentially increase circulation to impacted joints.
7. Develop and follow a quality sleep habit. All of us when short of sleep can be grumpy and difficult to deal with. In addition, lack of sleep leaves us demotivated to get out and exercise. Do not rely on OTC pain medications that incorporate antihistamines as a sleep aid. According to The National Institutes of Health, the effectiveness of antihistamines as a sleep aid is not well established and they can have side effects like daytime drowsiness and decreased cognitive function, which is the last thing one would want to encounter while working on a pain management program. Use exercise to assist in tiring you and you will find that your sleep is much more restful. Words of Wisdom: Relax before going to bed. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, cool, and comfortable. Sleep must be a priority; it’s not the time to finish daytime activities. Develop a sleep routine and get up and go to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends!
8. When stiff, painful and swollen joints interfere with your ability to participate in all the activities you once enjoyed, don’t give up. Most of us cannot throw a baseball the way we could when we were twenty, keep things in perspective and look for ways to adapt or modify your favorite hobbies rather than giving them up completely. Be careful to not to substitute hobby activities for a specific exercise program that addresses your unique mobility and strengthening needs, your goal should be to use them together to improve overall health and function. Combine your favorite activities with stretching or isometric exercises to increase function of painful joints. Do not be afraid to support your joints if needed. Maybe you have lost strength, range of motion, or some function, despite physical limitations, find a way to adapt the activity so that you can still enjoy your hobbies. Do not be afraid to ask your family and healthcare provider for suggestions. Words of Wisdom: Being actively involved in your favorite activities is important and keeps your mind active and occupied, have the goal of combining your favorite hobbies with an stretching or isometric exercises to increase function of painful joints to improve your overall mental and physical health and function. There is nothing gained by eliminating favorite activities or hobbies in order to be comfortable; that should be your second and last choice.
9. Realize the importance of staying active both physically and mentally. Be aware of the fact that by staying active, you will realize many benefits, including that you will feel better and have an improved quality of life. Arthritis and many other disease states will often lead to muscle fatigue, weakness and a loss of energy, this can make your pain feel like it is even worse than it may actually be. Don’t dwell on your pain, if anything this can magnify it. Ask for help if you need it, you will that the person who is helping you is more than happy to do so, not burdened by your request. Respect your limitations; don’t take on more than you feel you can reasonably manage. There is nothing heroic gained if you can’t move or are in intense pain tomorrow. Take a break when you are tired, it’s okay to say “No” or “later”. Use cold therapy to reduce joint pain and reduce inflammation. Practice meditation, this will allow your body and mind to take a break and relax. Managing your time and energy level will ultimately allow you to accomplish more. Words of Wisdom: Don’t let Arthritis or pain knock you out of the game of life! Ask for help if you need it, you will that the person who is helping you is more than happy to do so, not burdened by your request. Respect your limitations; don’t take on more than you feel you can reasonably manage. There is nothing heroic gained if you can’t move or are in intense pain tomorrow.
10. Allow trusted family members and friends into your inner sanctum, allow them to know how you’re feeling, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed or need to talk about how you are feeling. We all need help at one point or another, don’t be a hero today only to be miserable tomorrow. Find a local or on line support group, befriending others that share a commonality will let you talk with others that can truly relate to the same concerns. You will find that together you can accomplish more as the adage says! Bounce ideas off each other on how to overcome physical obstacles that result from arthritis or other painful disease states. Nothing positive is ever accomplished if you are lonely, don’t be a coward, overcome your fear to meet with others that have the same issues that you are experiencing. It’s easy to pick up the phone or look on line to find a local support group, contact your local Arthritis Foundation, ask your medical care providers, or call area hospitals. Words of Wisdom: Support is essential. You will find that together you can accomplish more as the adage says! Bounce ideas off each other on how to overcome physical obstacles that result from arthritis or other painful disease states. Nothing positive is ever accomplished if you are lonely.
11. Having arthritis is not funny, however as with many other disease states, research continues to show that laughter can lessen pain, decrease anxiety and depression, along with easing loneliness and anger that often accompany chronic conditions. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. It is well documented that laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, therefore laughter improves your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain. Clinical studies have shown that laughter protects the heart; laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. It’s not always easy to stay positive when you’re in pain; it is something that you must work at. Laughter and the release it provides can really be one of the best medicines! Words of Wisdom: Laughter is the best medicine there is! Laughter relaxes the whole body. Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more consistently to affect your mind and body. A quick way to bring things back into balance is a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. Therefore, laugh early and often!

You do not have to let arthritis or pain control your life. Work with your medical care team on a plan for coping with your arthritis symptoms. Over time, you’ll find what works best for you, once you have a plan of action work with it each and every day. It’s the quality of our lives that matters most!