How is Arthritis Pain Treated?



There is no single treatment that applies to all people with arthritis, but rather the doctor will develop a management plan designed to minimize your specific pain and improve the function of your joints. A number of treatments can provide short-term pain relief.
Short-Term Relief


• Medications: Because people with osteoarthritis have verylittle inflammation, pain relievers such as acetaminophen(Tylenol) may be effective. Patients with rheumatoidarthritis generally have pain caused by inflammation andoften benefit from aspirin or other nonsteroidalantiinflammatory drugs (NSAlDs) such as ibuprofen.

• Heat and cold: The decision to use either heat or cold forarthritis pain depends on the type of arthritis and should bediscussed with your doctor or physical therapist. Moist heat,such as a warm bath or shower, or dry heat, such as aheating pad, placed on the painful area of the joint for about15 minutes may relieve the pain. An ice pack (or a bag offrozen vegetables) wrapped in a towel and placed on thesore area for about 15 minutes may help to reduce swellingand stop the pain. If you have poor circulation, do not usecold packs.

• Joint Protection: Using a splint or a brace to allow jointsto rest and protect them from injury can be helpful. Yourphysician or physical therapist can make recommendations.


• Transcutaneous electrical nerve slimulotion (TENS)'. A
small TENS device that directs mild electric pulses to nerve endings that lie beneath the skin in the painful area may relieve some arthritis pain. TENS seems to work by blocking pain messages to the brain and by modifying pain perception.

• Massage: In this pain-relief approach, a massage therapistwill lightly stroke and/or knead the painful muscle. Thismay increase blood flow and bring warmth to a stressedarea. However, arthritis-stressed joints are very sensitiveso the therapist must be very familiar with the problems ofthe disease.

• Acupuncture: This procedure should only be done by alicensed acupuncture therapist. In acupuncture, thin needlesare inserted at specific points in the body. Scientists thinkthat this stimulates the release of natural, pain-relievingchemicals produced by the brain or the nervous system.

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are chronic diseases that may last a lifetime. Learning how to manage your pain over the long term is an important factor in controlling the disease and maintaining a good quality of life. Following are some sources of long-term pain relief.


Long-Term Relief