The Best Way to Manage Pain of Arthritis

Arthritis pain can be short, acute bursts that come and go with regularity, or it can be a severe, constant pain that is sometimes bad enough to lead to emotional distress. The key to living with arthritis is knowing how to manage the pain when it comes, and there are several methods for doing so, depending on the severity and regularity of the pain.

Hot/Cold Therapy

• Using heat and cold to numb and relax arthritis pain is a quick method of relief no matter the severity or regularity of the discomfort. It works in the same way that hot/cold therapy helps sore muscles: The cold numbs the pain and then the heat dulls and relaxes it, helping to dissipate discomfort. Most drug stores sell all-in-one hot/cold pads, but you can also use simple household items to achieve the same effect. Use some ice wrapped in a thin towel for several minutes, followed by a moist towel that has been heated in the microwave.

Massages

• Even though arthritis involves pain in the bone joints, it can also cause discomfort in the muscles around the joints. They may become tense or strained, which will in turn only worsen the arthritis pain itself. A soothing massage of the area will help eliminate this problem as well as relax away some of the arthritis pain. This is an especially helpful treatment on larger areas such as the shoulders or knee joints; hands and feet are easily massaged as well.

Medication

• Both over-the-counter and prescription medications may often be used to treat various levels of arthritis pain. As with any non-prescription pain reliever this is not a permanent fix, but a brief reprieve. You may also consider trying topical anti-inflammatory creams. These are often best used on the hands, and help reduce pain by preventing inflammation of the affected joints.
  More severe or constant arthritis pain is sometimes treated with prescription medications. Sometimes prescription painkillers are given to help you cope with a particularly painful episode, but these must be taken with caution as they can be addictive.
  Corticosteroids can be injected in affected areas. This is a prescription-grade anti-inflammatory medicine that significantly reduces swelling in the joints.

Surgery

• Surgery is often considered the last-resort method of managing arthritis pain and should really only be used if the pain becomes so severe it consistently interferes with daily life or regular movement. There are several surgical procedures depending on various factors related to the arthritis, and your doctor will help choose the best course of action. Often the damaged cartilage in and around the joint can be repaired through arthroscopic surgery. Other times, however, the joint needs to be replaced with an artificial counterpart (knee and hip replacement surgery).