Just as there are different types of arthritis, there are also different types of pain. Even your own pain may vary from day to day.
Each person needs a pain management plan. What works for one person may not work for someone else. You may need to try several different treatments before you find the one that works for you.
Long-lasting pain, like the kind that accompanies osteoarthritis, is different. While it tells you that something is wrong, it often isn't as easy to relieve. Managing this type of pain is essential to enhance your quality of life and sense of well-being.
Many people with arthritis have found that by learning and practicing pain management skills, they can reduce their pain.
Causes of Pain:
- Inflammation, the process that causes the redness and swelling in your joints;
- Damage to joint tissues, which results from the disease process or from stress, injury or pressure on the joints;
- Fatigue that results from the disease process, which can make your pain seem worse and harder to handle;
- Depression or stress, which results from limited movement or no longer doing activities you enjoy. You can get caught in a cycle of pain, limited/lost abilities, stress and depression that makes managing pain and arthritis seem more difficult.
Protect your joints and help prevent pain.
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