Help to understand pain

Howorth
Howorth Member Posts: 4
in Living with arthritis

Want help to understand pain will it ever go away?

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  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,829

    Good Morning @Howorth

    That's a very interesting question and not possible to answer 100%.

    We can ease our pain in a variety of ways, but depending on the cause it may not be possible to totally eliminate it.

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

    The above article does give you quite a bit of information about pain and how to manage it.

    If you feel comfortable sharing it might help to let us know what kind of Arthritis you have and where your pain is. Someone here might have experienced similar pain and can tell you what has helped them.

    My best wishes

    Ellen.

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,967

    Morning @Howorth

    Ellen is right I think it depends on the cause. If it's a bruise or a cut and it heals up the pain usually goes too.

    In our case it is often just a case of managing it.

    I use ice packs/my microwavable wheatbags. Prescription painkillers as prescribed if things are really bad. If less so I go back to paracetamol.

    I also have a tens machine and some aloe MSM gel which I rub into sore joints and trigger points.

    I walk daily sometimes short walks sometimes longer. If I leave it even 3 days without my back isn't happy.

    In addition I almost always employ 'distraction techniques' - doing something else to take my mind of my pain. Listening to an audiobook, doing a puzzle, chatting on here etc. It is surprising how much it can help if you can do it.

    I hope your pain eases soon.

    Toni x

  • Baloo
    Baloo Member Posts: 524

    @Howorth I think there is a lot to discover about pain. I can handle the pain, but after a while I get depressed and floppy so there is a bit more to it. Then I have to dive into the painkillers and get some mobility back.

  • Slowcoach
    Slowcoach Member Posts: 4

    My pain and stiffness seems worse now I am doing exercises meant to help. I find it really hard to get enough sleep at night. It is depressing.

  • Fran54
    Fran54 Member Posts: 263

    Hi @Howorth

    I hope that you are now in less pain. Being able to manage it can help to make you feel more positive. Some of the other comments on here are worth noting, especially the distraction techniques and also any form of gentle exercise will help but you have to be patient as it takes a while to feel the effects. Try and keep positive and take each day as it comes as some days are good and others not so. You are not alone in all this.

    Take care🙂

  • jonr
    jonr Member Posts: 425

    @Slowcoach many sufferers (me included) find it hard to exercise and do physio because of the pain involved so it's a bit of a vicious circle. Exercise and physio help with strengthening affected joints but the act of doing them can bring on a shedload of pain.

    I believe effective pain management and exercise go hand in hand and you've had some great tips already from other community members on how you may be able to manage yours. I'm afraid it's a bit of a journey but it's absolutely worthwhile experimenting to find the right things for you because exercise and physio not only work to provide support but keep you fit, healthy and can provide a mental boost too.

    Obviously, without knowing more about your particular condition I can't make any specific recommendations but I find CBD capsules help me sleep if you're struggling. Over the past year or so I've been able to step up my exercises and am able to do some good cardio and being physically tired after a session up the gym or on my bike generally means I get a better night's kip than usual.

    Hope these are of some help

    jon

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