Arthritis Pain and Treatments

Arthritis is considered to be a chronic pain and the number of people who suffer from this pain is staggering. Over 40 million Americans suffer from this pain. Some people can function normally with the pain and then there are many people who are limited in their activity due to the pain. Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints such as the wrists, the shoulders, the elbows, feet and knees. There are two types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid. Each has different levels of pain. The rheumatoid arthritis is more of a chronic pain and rheumatoid arthritis is an acute and sometimes chronic pain. However, the literal definition and the medical one may differ. Arthritis can affect other parts of the body as well as the joints. It can affect the bones, ligaments, muscles and tendons.

While the cause of arthritis is still unknown, there are ways on how to reduce arthritic pain and the debilitating effects of the arthritic pain. It is important that you consult your doctor particularly an expert in arthritis and arthritic pain. You are most likely susceptible to develop arthritis if it is in your family history, where in the past, your family members have suffered from arthritis. Currently, the cause of arthritis is still a mystery, although, there are certain risk factors that may cause arthritis. There are some topical creams that may help the people with osteoarthritis and there are more severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis that require more of a stronger treatment.

The pain from arthritis is caused by many different sources. The pain can affect the way you do a lot of things such as drive, walk, sit and lay down. It can stem from the inflammation of the joints, or the tendons and ligament. There may be muscle strains and overall fatigue. There is also a certain amount of hypersensitivity in the area around the swelling. It tends to get worse when it affects the amount of pain the person is feeling around the swollen area. There are many factors that come into play with arthritis pain such as swelling in the joints and the time of day it is. There are individuals who develop their arthritic pain early in the morning and some experience pain on a later day.For example, rheumatoid arthritis suffers have more pain in the morning than any other time of the day. Each person has a different tolerance for pain and each has a different threshold for pain as well. Some people get so upset and so tired of living with the constant pain that they become depressed or they can suffer from anxiety.

Spinal arthritis can be extremely painful. The medications available for spinal arthritis can be purchased over the counter and there are some that you need a doctor's prescription. One common medication of spinal arthritis is Acetaminophen; medicines like Tylenol have Acetaminophen in them. This is only good for people who have a mild pain and don't have any inflammation of the spinal area. The Acetaminophen doesn't work to reduce any type of inflammation, so if that is one of your symptoms then this is not right for you. People who are taking blood thinners should not be taking acetaminophen for more than 10 days. Another type of medication is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. These are medications that can reduce both osteoarthritic pain and inflammation caused by spinal arthritis. Medications with Aspirin in them such as Bayer, Advil and Motrin help most people. Sometimes you can get some minor side effects such as an upset stomach, diarrhea, cramping and maybe some bleeding if used for a long period of time. Other types of medications that may help with spinal pain are cortisone injections. Oral cortisone can't help people who have osetoarthritis but the injection into the joint can alleviate the pain almost immediately. The injection will reduce the inflammation and help with the joint pain.

Some people don't like to take pills so they try alternative treatments. These types of medicine will work on arthritis. One such medicine is the topical kind. The creams are said to work very well. There are no side effects such as diarrhea or upset stomach because you do not ingest the topical creams. They may not be as strong as the pills but in some cases of arthritis it can help take the pain away. Some of the most popular brands that say they can help relieve the pain of arthritis are over the counter creams. Capsaicin is one of them; the way it works is that the cream is set to block the pain that is in transit to a substance called substance P to the brain. Capsaicin is also found naturally in hot peppers, which are said to help with some pain. Other forms of topical creams are brands like Camphor that contain menthol and eucalyptus, both of which are great for aches and pains of the body and can be found in such products as Icy Hot. These are good for pain but they don't work on severe arthritis pain.

For many severe pain sufferers of arthritis topical pain relievers are not the answer. The topical creams are for the people who have very mild arthritis and who don't have constant and severe pain. If you are one of those people who believe a topical cream can help, consult your doctor and see which product is best for you. There is no real cure for the pain of arthritis; the pain can be managed through medications and some physical therapy. For short-term relief there are medications, heat and cold applications, joint protection, TENS or Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, massage therapies, acupuncture may help. Acupuncture is great for people who are under a lot of stress and after they have a treatment they swear by it. The needles may throw you off because it looks like it hurts but they are trained professionals and they know how to insert the pins as not to hurt you.