Feb
6
Treatment for Painful Joints
Filed Under Arthritis | 3 Comments
The charity Arthritis Care say that there are more than nine million people in the UK with arthritis. Joint pain has a significant impact on the everyday life of sufferers as pain and stiffness tends to persist for some or all of the time. It can stop people pursuing such activities as gardening, walking or sporting activities.
Arthritis Care have also reported that severe arthritis pain also has a significant impact on a person’s ability to work and many people are not getting the support they need from employees and their local NHS services.
It is not just older people that are affected. It has been found during a recent survey for an over-the-counter topical pain remedy survey that 15 per cent of 40 to 49 year olds suffer pain everyday with joint and back pain being the most common complaints. Somewhat more surprisingly, nearly one third of 18 to 29 year olds suffer some form of chronic pain.
Effective pain relief can make a huge difference to the quality of life of the sufferer. However, many people with chronic pain fail to manage their pain effectively. Many arthritis patients tend to start by looking for an over-the-counter analgesic to supplement any prescribed medicines.
However, there would appear to be wide-ranging confusion amongst consumers about the most appropriate over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers for joint pain. Consequently, many consumers are probably taking inappropriate products or incorrect doses of OTC medications.
Can Gentle Exercise Help?
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and usually develops over a period of time. Exercise should be a core treatment for the disease whatever the age of the patient, level of disability or severity of pain. This should be low-impact to help the joints move, strengthen the muscles and improve overall fitness levels. Many sufferers will tend to choose medication over exercise or weight-loss attempts. Yes, regular exercise is essential but many people find it hard to stick with it.
This is unfortunate since the person with osteoarthritis (after the initial pain and lack of mobility) will gain increased mobility and independence and quite crucially, counteract depression when embarking upon an appropriate exercise regime. Physiotherapist assessment may be needed in more severe cases. This area of treatment is sadly underused in the community.
Pain Management
People with mild joint pain will probably try ibuprofen peceiving it to be the most effective OTC remedy. However, for this group of patients, paracetamol should be the first-line choice of analgesic before using a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID). This is because although the NSAID would have a greater anti-inflammatory reponse, the side-effect profile is worse with potential for gastric irritation a major potential problem.
Recently, there have been a number of major OTC product launches in the joint pain market such as Voltarol Joint Pain (diclofenac) and Anadin Joint Pain (long acting formula). NICE have recommended that the use of topical NSAIDs should be encouraged particularly for joint pain in the hand and knee. The local application to the joint tends to reduce the traditional side-effects of the oral NSAIDs.
This area of joint pain relief using topical treatments is showing rapid growth in the UK market and looks to continue through 2009 with the introduction of fast-acting gels such as Ibuleve Speed Relief. You might consider one of these products next time before you reach for the ibuprofen tablet bottle.
oint pain has a significant impact on the everyday life of sufferers as pain and stiffness tends to persist for some or all of the time. It can stop people pursuing such activities as gardening, walking or sporting activities.
ROM is the degree of joint mobility, which if ROM is interrupted, the joints swell, ache, and cause pain. The pain often affects various parts of the body, including the back.
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