Help With Arthritis Pain- Gouty Arthritis

• Gout, or gouty arthritis, is a very painful condition that can attack quite suddenly and cause tremendous discomfort for the duration of the attack. The unpredictable nature of gouty arthritis makes it very difficult to treat. Some patients will have one attack and then never experience it again while others will have attacks at random throughout their life. Gouty arthritis most often attacks the joints of the feet or legs, but it has been known to surface in nearly every joint of the human body.

• By definition, gouty arthritis is caused by a build up of uric acid in the kidney. A kidney that either can’t get rid of the uric acid or that produces too much uric acid is responsible for the painful symptoms of gout. Risk factors for gouty arthritis include the chronic use of alcohol, menopause, obesity, kidney disease, diabetes, and sickle cell anemia. Experiencing gouty arthritis can be an excruciating pain. It can be this horrendous pain that wakes the patient up in the middle of night and doesn’t desist until medicated with powerful analgesics. Unfortunately, some sufferers of gouty arthritis experience so many incidents that they spend more time on medication that debilitates them than they do free from harsh drugs. This is no way to live, and research options have improved the prospects for patients who experience this crushing pain.

Treatments

• Treatment options for gouty arthritis vary, depending on the frequency and severity of the pain. For acute incidents, many doctors prescribe the stronger analgesics like Vicodan, Oxy-codone, and Percodan. Physicians are trying to get away from this line of treatment and are now turning to Colchicine instead. This medication is very effective at reducing the inflammation associated with gouty arthritis. It has no effect, however, on the levels of uric acid in the kidneys or bloodstream.

• The use of NSAID medications are often used, and are often used at a prescription strength level. The chronic use of pain relievers can lead to other health complications, including damage to the internal organs. While NSAIDS pain relievers are fine for the temporary uses of occasional gouty arthritis bouts, the chronic use is obviously not a good idea.

• Some physicians are turning toward the use of cortisone injections to help relieve chronic gouty arthritis pain. One time pain relief use of cortisone injections can be beneficial. The chronic use of cortisone can lead to potential complications, some of which are rare. Complications from chronic cortisone injection include weight gain, thinning of the skin, immune system suppression, osteoporosis, facial puffiness, cataracts, high blood pressure, blood sugar elevation, and the potential for serious joint damage known as avascular necrosis. Cortisone shots can be painful, and can be more painful than the gout for the first twenty four hours, and then provide the necessary pain relief. Every individual body will respond to cortisone shots differently than someone else. It is merely an experiment the first time, and can be used effectively only after it proves to be successful.

• Special diets can help reduce gout attacks. Diets that are intentionally low in wine, beer, organ meats such as liver, and some fish can help reduce the body’s level of purines. While reducing the body’s intake of purines is not a cure, it can dramatically help reduce the number of gout related incidents in a patient’s life. Additionally, high levels of water based fluids can reduce the risk of kidney stones associated with gouty arthritis.

Cope with the pain.

• Coping with daily pain is very frustrating, depressing, and can even lead to chronic anger. When physicians do not treat pain as the life altering and depressing state of being that it truly is, patients feel abandoned. Statements such as, “That’s life,” and “Just focus on what you can do,” can make a patient feel as though their pain is not relevant to the physician’s treatment plan. Doctors tend to forget that just because something worked for one patient doesn’t mean the rest of his or her patients will follow suit. Every person is an individual and will respond to treatment options on an individual basis.

• When coping with chronic gouty arthritis pain, the patient may need to become proactive in finding their own resources. Support groups, learning from other people’s experiences, and taking their own information to the physician and having self educated discussions is all part of being proactive in dealing with the chronic pain. Different physicians respond differently to a patient’s self education. Some support it and some will flat out tell their patients that they do not have a degree and thus their opinion is irrelevant. A physician who is not willing to discuss the patient’s ideas and observations should frankly not be treating patients and the patient should find a new physician.

• A lot of patients have found that an appropriate mix of medication, dietary restrictions, and exercise really helps alleviate the bulk of their chronic pain. Patients write in regularly to support group sites that state they have finally found a strong pain reliever and they combine the pain reliever with specific exercises that deal with the appropriate body part. Fortunately, gout usually only attacks on specific joint at a time which makes it easier to focus exercises on the appropriate area. Physical therapy sessions may introduce a few exercises not only to strengthen the muscles around the affect joint, but can provide pain relief as well. Patient reports from physical therapy sessions have been rather positive.

Speak Up!

• The biggest responsibility a patient has when dealing with their gouty arthritis pain is speaking up. If a treatment option isn’t working, they need to communicate the ineffectiveness of the option. If their physician has no alternative therapies available, then it’s time to find a new physician. Too often patients listen to physicians who mock their pain, who tell them to toughen up, and who don’t provide treatment options that work. It may take several different doctors before a patient can happily report that at the very least they found a doctor who understands what they go through every day and is willing to try new treatments in the search for a pain free life.

Visit our Business Partner:

WWW.best-gout-remedies.com. A website specializing in gout and gout treatment, including natural remedies for gout. Find out about causes, triggers and possible cures of gout.

Join our E-zine and get our Arthritis Newsletter.