Understanding and Dealing with the Pain of Arthritis

Arthritis simply means joint inflammation. But what is also means is pain. Arthritis is also referred to as a group of over one hundred rheumatic diseases. These diseases all mean pain. But they also can neab stiffness, and swelling of the joints. In some cases, it is not only one’s joints that are infected. Some patients report pain, stiffness and swelling in their muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments.

Over 40 million American suffer from some form of arthritis. Many of these people also are in chronic pain, which limits their daily activity. Osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis. It affects over 20 million Americans. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most disabling and it is said to be affecting 2.1 million Americans.

The pain that one suffers is the body’s way of warning us that something is wrong. Our nerves signal an injury and then they tell our brain.

Pain from arthritis can come from different sources. This pain can arise from swelling of the tissue that lines one’s joints, tendons or the ligaments. Muscle strain and fatigue can also be contributing factors.

The pain and the intensity of the pain vary from person to person. This is something that doctor’s do not understand, yet. Some people will experience pain when they first awake in the mornings while other people will not experience any pain until they begin using a certain joint.

The tolerance that people have for pain also varies. Some factors that can affect one’s tolerance include depression, anxiety and hypersensitivity at the affected site.

What can be done for the pain? To start, most people will reach for over the counter medicines.

If you think you have Osteoarthritis (which means you have small amount of inflammation) you can usually start by taking a pain reliever with acetaminophen (Tylenol) in it. But if you think you have rheumatoid arthritis, which means more inflammation and possible swelling, you might want to take an anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil)