Understanding Arthritis Pain
Pain is your bodys 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 persons 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. |
