Arthritis Pain
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is joint inflammation. It is also a term that is used to describe many different rheumatic diseases that cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in the body.
The two most common forms of arthritis are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Both men and women can get arthritis, although it's more common for women to get symptoms earlier than men. While it's not common, older teens and people in their 20's can also develop this disease.
Common symptoms of arthritis
- Swelling in one or more joints
- Morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes
- Trouble moving normally
- Redness or warmth in a joint
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Fatigue
Arthritis treatment options
There are many different treatment options that can be explored to treat arthritis depending on the severity and the diagnosis, such as:
- Medication
- A comfortable balance of rest and exercise
- Physical therapy
- Assistive devices, such as braces or splints
- Natural treatments
- Joint replacement surgery in severe cases
Finding an appropriate pain management plan
When determining an appropriate pain management plan, it is important to take the following steps.
When developing an appropriate pain management plan for chronic pain, the most critical factor is to determine the stressor and the cause of the pain. For example, if you are having back pain - where is the pain coming from? Is it related to your posture? Is it related to stress? Maybe you regularly lift heavy objects?
Once the stressor is identified, short-term interventions may be added to your pain management plan to help ease your pain, so you are comfortable enough to make adjustments to your lifestyle. Medications, injections, or surgery are some options that can help reduce inflammation. It is very important to know that opioids should not be used to treat chronic pain - they are not the answer for this type of pain.
The next step is to make lifestyle adjustments. These may include physical and occupational therapy to increase strength, daily exercise, massage therapy, chiropractic care, etc. Treatment with exercise will provide a long-term pain solution.
Inactivity leads to stiff muscles, decreased mobility, and decreased strength - all of these can worsen the symptoms of chronic pain. Gradually becoming more active will improve flexibility, reduce inflammation, and strengthen the muscles around joints.
The first step to finding an appropriate treatment plan for chronic pain is to talk with your primary care provider. If your provider finds it appropriate, referrals can be made to the Pain Clinic at Crossing Rivers Health.
Request a referral to the Pain Clinic