Chronic Arthritis Pain

And How It Affects You

Are you having chronic arthritis pain? Many people suffer from pain of this sort.

As you know, having arthritis includes swelling of the joints, stiffness, muscle weakness and minimal to severe pain and the cost incurred to help relive that pain.

Chronic arthritis affects women twice as much as it does men. There is no known cure for arthritis or rheumatism but there are treatments available.

They may include creams, drugs, surgery, self management of the pain and rehabilitation. These have shown to be effective in reducing pain and to retain function in the affected joints.

Common myths and false impressions lead to denial and misunderstanding for the sufferers. We have all heard of the minor aches and pain of arthritis and of certain diets that cure or cause arthritis.

Perhaps you believed that it would go away with exercise? Or, maybe if you ignore it long enough, it will go away. Sadly, that is not going to happen.

Current medical treatments only focus only pain control and limiting further damage and/or spread of it. Yes, of course proper diet, managing your weight, exercise, vitamins and reducing bad habits such as smoking do help; however, they are not a cure.

No two people will experience the chronic pain of arthritis the same.

Your pain is your own, and you may never fully understand what someone else with the same condition is experiencing. Therefore, comparing yourself to healthy person or others with the same condition is not fair to you. Give yourself a break.

After all, chronic arthritis pain occasionally gets the best of all of us. It is hard to understand how much the loss of simple movement disrupts and limits everyday life.

Some days, the best you can do is focus on how to stand up, or walk across the room with the least amount of pain. No longer are we able to do the things we enjoy like dancing, bowling, playing sports, or riding on a roller coaster. We conserve what little energy we have for the musts in life.

Chronic arthritis pain does not have to be a complete life altering disease. The first step to solving any crisis is admitting there is a problem.

For us, we have to realize that chronic arthritis pain has taken control of our lives and because of the pain, our life is unmanageable.

Once we cross that bridge, we can then journey to acceptance.

Seek help, join a support group, research your illness, and get professional help if needed. It’s time to grieve your losses, anger, sense of failure, and hopelessness. All is not lost. It’s not the end, it’s a new beginning.

Acceptance won’t cure your arthritis; but, it will help you deal more effectively with the emotional consequences of pain. Understanding your illness, erasing the myths of denial, and seeking help is the answer. Take your limitations in stride, push your pride aside, and seek help.

You can learn self-management strategies, including exercise and education, to help reduce pain and long-term disability and to decrease the need for medications.

People living with chronic conditions, such as chronic arthritis pain do not want to give up! They make efforts to laugh, smile, look their best and enjoy life, even though they know they will pay dearly for it.

Because of this, we should not confuse their endeavors to live life and be positive, with assuming they are feeling well or doing better.

Instead, let us commend them for their incredible courage, perseverance and persistence that make their illnesses and injuries seem invisible to us.

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