While arthritis is a disease related to aging due to the deterioration of a person's joints as he ages, it is generally a manageable disease. Arthritis can affect almost anyone but it can be avoided or the pain lessened through proper diet, exercise and even surgery. The presence of arthritis can be diagnosed by undergoing x-rays to show the quality of your bones and also by having blood tests.
Once arthritis has set in, there is a great possibility that it will be a disease you have to live with for a long time. Resorting to proper treatments and medication can however help you live with arthritis.
You probably have arthritis if you experience pain excruciating pain in your joints. An inflamed joint can be very sensitive and painful to touch or even with light movements. Arthritis can start with joint or muscle pains which last for a few days.
Arthritis can be debilitating because it can inhibit your movements and your regular functions. This disease can be very painful even for those who are just lying or sitting down. Once arthritis sets in, the ordinary actions like writing, seating or buttoning your shirt can be very painful. People who have arthritis tend to have a limited mobility so they tend to be more irritable and depressed.
There are ways to keep arthritis pain manageable such as proper treatment or weight management plans. There are different kinds of arthritis and knowing which kind you have can help you manage tour pain properly. It also helps to be more vigilant of your daily tasks and to stop putting stress on your joints.
The pain you experience is actually a sign that some parts of your body is not doing fine. However, fibromyalgia or the pain that comes with arthritis is a different kind of pain and harder to manage than ordinary pain. The secret to living with arthritis is managing the pain that it gives you.
Arthritis pain can get worse with fatigue, stress and too much physical work that encourages arthritis attack. A person who have arthritis pain attacks can learn to minimize his pain by not focusing too much on the pain and by resorting to proper exercises, relaxation techniques and appropriate medicine. Others resort to topical relievers that can stop the pain for a few moments, hot and cold sponges and other things to divert their attention off the pain.
While strenuous exercises can worsen arthritis pain, there are activities that can minimize pain and even prevent it like swimming and biking. However, you have to consult your doctor before doing any physical activity as it can worsen your pain when done the wrong way.
Treatment For Arthritis Pain
Pain is your body's way of letting you know that something is wrong. It is a natural defense that prevents you from causing further damage to an affected area. After surgery the pain prevents you from doing things that could damage the surgical area. People who suffer from arthritis will often experience joint pain and stiffness to the affected joint. There are two types of arthritis pain; acute pain which temporary in nature and chronic pain which is either recurring or permanent.
Acute arthritis pain can flare up and last for a few hours or a few days. This type of pain becomes less intense as an area heals. Chronic arthritis pain is often severe and never goes away permanently. Chronic pain can often be controlled but is never cured. It is this type of pain that will often limit a person's activities. With time and age, people who suffer from arthritis pain will probably see an increase in the pain as well as a decrease in daily activities.
The degree of arthritis pain will vary from one individual to the other. Some will only experience inflammation of the joints while other will also have inflammation of the tendons, which is known as tendonitis. People who develop tendonitis will experience more pain than those who only have joint pain. Often the amount of daily activity will affect the amount of pain one experiences.
Preparing For A Visit To The Doctor
People who have been diagnosed with arthritis will need to stay under the care of their doctor to help them control their symptoms. The more information you can provide your doctor the better he will be able to help you. Before your visit you need to keep a diary of your activities. This diary should include when you felt pain and the degree of that pain. Most doctors will ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10. They will also ask you to describe you pain such as aching, stinging, burning, etc. Keep up with the times of day when your pain is worse. Also keep up with your diet and the foods you have eaten since some foods will trigger arthritis pain.
Your doctor will also want to know if anything helped ease the pain. Things such as ice packs, heat packs, or over the counter analgesics may help with pain reduction. By providing your doctor with a full picture of when and how the pain is occurring will help him understand what is going on and how best to treat it. Early treatment will provide you with the best chance of arthritis pain control as well as preventing joint damage.
Both Scott Miller & John Hilaire are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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