No Pain, No Gain? Dealing with Your Arthritic Pain

Pain is your body’s way of alerting you that something is wrong with the body. For bodybuilders, who often say “No pain, no gain,” pain is a sign that they have worked their muscles to the point of destruction, and that the body will rebuild them to be even larger. However, most pain is not that productive. If you suffer from arthritis you probably experience acute pain in your joints, and this pain can keep you from enjoying life. Therefore, it is important to have a pain management plan so you can deal with your arthritis but still live from day to day with little intrusion.

Like a red flashing light, pain is your body’s signal that you need to stop what you are doing and take action about your body’s health. Although pain is very natural, it does not have to be unbearable. There are a number of things that cause your arthritic pain. First, pain can be caused by inflammation in the joint. This type of pain is usually accompanied by redness and swelling and is common in younger arthritis patients or those just developing the condition. A second cause of pain is damage to the joint tissue. We commonly feel as though we’ve pulled a muscle when this type of pain occurs and it can be a condition due to stress on a joint or injury.

Next, pain can be caused by fatigue. Although you may simply have a small amount of lingering pain, being tired can make you experience this in a more profound way. Think of it in terms of a headache—at the end of the day, when you are tired, the headache seems much worse even though in actuality it is probably no different than it was in the morning. Joint pain works in the same way. Lastly, depression and stress can cause pain or make your pain seem worse than it really is. This is a vicious cycle to fall into—you get depressed because you have pain, which causes the pain to heighten, which causes you to become more depressed, which causes you to feel even worse, and so on.

Because arthritic patients are likely to feel a lot of different kinds of pain, it is important to have a pain management system. This includes eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly in ways that will help your condition, as well as taking medication, having your doctor’s phone number on hand for any questions, partaking in alternative medical procedures like massage or acupuncture, relaxing as much as possible, and continually educating yourself about arthritis and the research being done on this condition. Stay optimistic about your outlook on life and deal with pain as it comes—arthritis is difficult, but you can overcome it to live a normal life.