Struggling with arthritis pain? You’re not alone. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children (about half the population of Wyoming) suffer from arthritis. Arthritis is a group of diseases that causes joint pain and inflammation. It has more than 100 clinical types and associated diseases. However, only a few types affect the majority of people. While it has no cure, treatment, and lifestyle strategies can help you manage pain and reduce its progression. Learn effective strategies and treatments for arthritis pain relief in this article. Visit the best Pain Management Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness or log on to www.doralhw.org.
Arthritis Pain Relief: Treatments and Medications
The arthritis pain treatment depends on several things, including:
- Type of arthritis
- The severity of the disease and symptoms
- Overall health
Generally, medications are the most common treatment prescribed first to manage arthritis symptoms. Medications can manage arthritis pain, prevent joint damage, or improve mobility.
Some medications are available over-the-counter (OTC) or by prescription. Most medications come in oral form, but some can be applied or injected on the skin as well.
Over-the-counter Medications
You can buy these medications from pharmacies without a prescription. These are generally safe; however, some may cause some side effects if you have certain health conditions or take other medications that may interact with them. Here are the some of most common OTC medications for arthritis pain:
- Acetaminophen:
This medicine is used to reduce arthritis pain by lowering the production of prostaglandins, compounds made from fats that increase pain sensitivity. A person can either choose this or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for its effectiveness in combating joint inflammation, which acetaminophen cannot. Doctors recommend that adults should not take more than 4 grams of acetaminophen per day to prevent an overdose. Many medicines contain acetaminophen, so you must check drug labels carefully to keep this under the limit. While it’s safe for pregnant women and children, make sure you only take the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration to prevent rare but serious complications. It can cause serious adverse effects, including:
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Liver and kidney failure
- Cardiovascular disease
- Severe skin reactions
- Anaphylaxis
If you’re experiencing shortness of breath, nausea, or vomiting, then you should seek immediate medical help.
- NSAIDs:
These drugs are considered the most effective in reducing pain from osteoarthritis, which causes inflammation. It can also reduce stiffness and swelling from arthritis. However, it also causes severe side effects such as asthma attacks, allergic reactions, kidney disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, and ulcers. That’s why it is recommended that a person should use these drugs only when needed.
If you want to use them daily, you may need proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers to prevent gastrointestinal problems from these drugs. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or over 65, or have any other ongoing health conditions, first talk with your healthcare professional before taking these medications to prevent complications.
- Aspirin:
It is used to treat mild to moderate pain. It can prevent the formation of blood clots. If you take ibuprofen within several hours of aspirin then it might interfere with its cardiovascular benefits and increase the risk of side effects.
- Topical:
It includes medicated creams, gels, liquids, or patches for people whose arthritis only affects small joints, such as finger joints. It contains NSAIDs, capsaicin, an anesthetic called lidocaine, menthol, camphor, or a combination of these. These may work for people who can’t take drugs orally because their body absorbs less through the skin. It’s safer than oral drugs and has a lower risk of side effects.
Prescription medications
For some people, doctors may prescribe strong medications. It includes:
- Prescriptions NSAIDs:
Some NSAIDs are only available to use when prescribed based on your condition and the severity of the symptoms. It includes:
- Celecoxib
- Diclofenac
- Indomethacin
- Naproxen
- Piroxicam
- Prescription opioids:
Opioids are only prescribed when other pain relievers don’t work. These drugs can reduce persistent, moderate-to-severe pain. However, it is recommended to take the lowest possible dose for the shortest duration because it leads to addiction or overdose. An overdose can be fatal, that’s why long-term use is prohibited. It also causes some side effects, including:
- Drowsiness and dizziness
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Low sex drive
- Impaired thinking, memory, and concentration
- Erectile dysfunction
- Reduce fertility
You need to work with your doctor to set guidelines for the safe use of opioid drugs. Your doctor may make you sign a form before starting the opioid treatment.
- Steroids:
Steroids can decrease the immune system response, which causes inflammation. They are fast-acting, which makes them more useful for initial treatment before other medications take effect. However, it doesn’t treat all causes of pain, only inflammatory arthritic disorders. It is prescribed as an oral or injected medication. However, steroid injections may increase the risk of infections, bleeding, skin discoloration, an allergic reaction, and tendon damage. Corticosteroids are the best steroid injection for short-term use because they reduce the risk of side effects. Long-term use of any steroids can cause:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Acne
- Osteoporosis
- Glaucoma
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Psychosis
- Elevated risk of infections
- Injections:
Hyaluronan, or hyaluronic acid, is a fluid used to cushion and lubricate joints. Doctors use this injection to treat osteoarthritis in the knee. Studies such as research from 2015, found that hyaluronic acid can manage this condition by lowering pain and improving joint function. However, its effects may be effective for moderate pain and last only for the short term.
- Antidepressants:
Doctors may prescribe antidepressants to manage chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis; however, it may cause some side effects as well, including:
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Bleeding in the digestive tract
- Dry mouth
- Suicidal thoughts or behavior
Besides medications and lifestyle strategies, assisted devices and radiofrequency ablation are used to relieve pain and support the affected joint.
Assisted devices:
Some devices are available to help you perform any task that causes joint pain, from buttoning shirts to sliding on shoes, to opening jars to reaching items on high shelves. An occupational therapist can identify devices that help you and guide you on how to use them. It may include crutches, a cane, or a walker to relieve pressure on the joints, prevent overuse, and promote healing. These devices can improve balance and prevent falls for people with arthritis.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA):
It is a procedure doctors use to relieve pain for people whose pain doesn’t get better with other treatments. In this procedure, a doctor uses an X-ray to insert a needle into a painful area of an arthritic joint to pass current through the needles to ablate or burn nerve endings to relieve pain.
Arthritis is a progressive disease that causes pain and stiffness in the joints. However, with effective lifestyle strategies and medications, managing arthritis pain is quite easy. Not only does it lower your arthritis pain, but it also improves your mobility and overall joint health.
If you need help with arthritis pain, visit our pain management clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!
Visit Doral Health & Wellness Pain Relief Department in Brooklyn, to get professional help and guidance on how to manage your problem. Call us on + 1-718-367-2555 to get a consultation. If you need help learning coping methods, register your information and make direct contact with our doctors at https://yuz88hfiyh7.typeform.com/Doralintake. Log on to www.doralhw.org. Or visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.
