Most forms of arthritis pain are divided into two main categories: acute and chronic. Acute pain is temporary, while chronic pain can range from mild to severe, and last from days to months, or even a lifetime. Pain from arthritis can happen for many different reasons, including muscle strain and swelling in the tendons or ligaments. At Good Samaritan Hospital, we know pain is a unique experience. So we listen to each patient to determine what type of pain management is best in each case.
Pain
may stop people from moving, walking, climbing stairs, bathing, working, or playing. It can interfere with thinking and concentration, or even with being close to other people. When pain interferes with sleep, mood, or appetite, it can affect all parts of your life, especially when it lasts a long time. It can even cause you to feel grumpy or sad. Pain can change the way you eat and cause you to gain or lose weight. And pain that won't go away can change the way you feel about yourself and others.
A
first goal for treatment is to make sure you get a good night's sleep. When you are well-rested, you have more energy to get well, to enjoy life, and to do the things that are important to you. Describing how pain limits your life will help your doctor or nurse set goals with you for dealing with your pain.
Only you know your pain.
A
person�s
description of pain � where it is, when it starts, what helps to relieve
it � are key to understanding pain. Only the person with pain knows
exactly what it is like. If a person can�t describe their pain and pain relief
to the doctor or nurse on a regular basis, pain management is likely to fail.
The person with pain is the key to relieving pain.
Talk about it.
Don�t be afraid
to talk about your pain. Expect your doctor or nurse to ask about your pain and
pain relief at each visit: if they don�t ask, tell them. Describe any changes
since your last visit. The better you describe the pain, how it affects your
life and activities, and what works to relieve it, the easier it will be for
others to help.
Write down your own pain assessment, feelings about your pain and what helps to relieve it, and bring it with you to doctor appointments. Use a drawing of the outline of a body to show the places where it hurts. Tell exactly how the pain feels. Describe all the medicines you have tried for pain in the last two or three days. Use the assessment to check on your pain and pain relief between visits to the doctor. Bring it with you each time you see the doctor or nurse. Use it to describe what's happening if you call on the phone.
Family members and friends can help if you�re not up to writing your pain assessment. Teach others to list your pain ratings. Bring a family member or friend along for doctor�s visits. Let them help you tell others about your pain and pain relief.
It is important to describe each kind of pain in detail, for example:
-
When does the pain happen?
- How long does it last? Does the pain come and
go? Or is it there all the time?
- Is this pain new? Have you ever had this pain
before?
- Does it hurt in more than one place?
- Does it feel like it�s on the inside or on the
outside of your body?
- Does the pain keep you from doing certain
things? What activities does it keep you from doing?
- Does pain interrupt your sleep? Does it change
your mood? Affect your appetite?
- What makes the pain better? What makes it worse?
What have you tried to relieve the pain?
Read more about Managing Arthritis Pain�
Back to Arthritis and Joint Replacement
