Arthritis Pain Treatment

Arthritis pain treatment is an integral part of arthritis treatment.  However, there is no single catchall treatment that functions as an arthritis pain treatment.  Everyone is a little different.  However, talking honestly with your doctor will lead to an effective arthritis pain treatment plan targeting your specific pain and improve functioning of your joints.

Arthritis Pain Treatment

Different forms of arthritis require different forms of arthritis pain treatment.  In terms of short-term pain treatment, osteoarthritis responds to simple pain relievers such as acetaminophen.  On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis pain treatments target the inflammation as well, so aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are appropriate.

Another form of short-term arthritis pain treatment includes heat packs or ice.  Once again, the type of arthritis determines the appropriateness of ice or heat.  Splinting, joint protection and joint massage and mobilization can also be appropriate to arthritis pain treatment.

Longer-term arthritis pain treatments are primarily drug based.  Even though the emphasis on long-term arthritis pain treatment is pharmacological, it is important to continue low-impact exercise such as swimming, and to maintain a healthy weight to minimize pressure on joints.

The pharmacological arthritis pain treatments include corticosteroid injections into the joint.  The needles can cause more damage to the joints so their use should be limited.  Long-term use of NSAIDs can also be appropriate in long-term arthritis pain treatment.  Specific rheumatoid arthritis pain treatments include a drug class called Biological Response modifiers (BRM) and Disease Modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).  The first of these stimulate or restore the capability of the immune system to fight arthritis and rheumatic disease.  DMARDs are a rheumatic arthritis pain treatment used to treat people that have not responded to NSAID therapy.  Both of these therapies have side effects and therefore should only be administered by a licensed medical professional.

Arthritis pain treatment should help make the disease tolerable though it does not address the debilitating portion of this disease.