Help With Arthritis Pain-Enteropathic.

• Enteropathic Arthritis is also known as Reactive Arthritis. Enteropathic arthritis, most often involved in cases of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, is an inflammatory arthritis seen in patients who suffer from gastrointestinal disease.

• Inflammation of the joints occurs along with inflammation of the colon and digestive tract during times when Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis flare up. Enteropathic arthritis is a side effect of the GI condition and signs and symptoms come and go in cycles as do the symptoms of the GI condition.

Symptoms can include:

• Arthritis in joints in the lower extremities. • Lower back pain. • Buttock pain. • Tendinitis. • Inflammation in the spine and pelvis. • Fever. • Weight loss. • Mouth ulcers. • Skin rashes. • Inflammation of the eye. • Inflammation of the cervix. • Inflammation of the prostate gland.

Cause:

• Enteropathic arthritis is active during flare-ups of GI disease (usually IBS, Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s disease). These conditions frequently are linked. It is unknown what the exact link is; but it is thought to have something to do with the stress on the overall body during flare-ups of bowel disease.

• Bacteria that are in the system can cause reactive arthritis. Inflammation from Ulcerative Colitis tends to turn into inflammation of the joints and pain in the joints. This may be due to an overgrowth of the bacteria in the bowels. The cause is generally unknown.

• Treatment is highly based on symptom reduction. Since this form of arthritis cycles with flare-ups of bowel conditions it is important to see your gastrointestinal doctor on a routine basis. Your Physician can help you keep your condition under control. This will help control your arthritis as well.

Treatment:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can relieve symptoms of arthritis. Over the counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen and Naproxen Sodium, are available. If these drugs do not help you with pain reduction, or if they are causing complications with your bowel condition, your physician can order other medications to help.

• Corticosteroids are helpful when flare-up’s get out of control. Corticosteroids are harmful if you use them on a long-term basis, but if you are only using corticosteroids occasionally for conditions that have gone out of control they are very helpful.

Pain Reduction:

• Changing your level of activity can also be helpful in pain reduction. When you notice a flare up in your bowel disease, expect arthritic problems. During these times protect your joints. Exercise but do it responsibly. Use heat and ice to treat acute flare-ups.

• Warming the irritated joints can help reduce pain in aching joints. Taking hot baths, lying under an electric blanket, lying on a warm water bed and using a heating pad on irritated joints are all ways of warming the joints to keep them from aching.

• Physical therapy treatments are available to assist with arthritis pain. Doing range of motion exercises at home is also helpful. Move the aching joint through all of the natural movements for that joint to keep it from getting stiff. You can do these when you suspect a flare-up is going to happen to help minimize the effects. As long as you do these in moderation and do not wear out the joint or make it ache from the exercise.

• Preventing both your arthritis and your bowel disease from getting out of control is the best treatment. Taking care of your GI condition so that you don’t have flare-ups will help reduce the frequency of arthritic flares. Smoking has been linked to a reduction in flare-ups with ulcerative colitis. It is unknown why these two appear to be linked.

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