Bodybuilding Doctors on Joint Pain Relief – Part 2

SYSTEM RELIEF
The most important approach to joint pain is to work with your doctor for the right diagnosis,ruling out any serious medical problems or infections, says Bill Arnold,M.D., a rheumatologist and chairman of the department of medicine at Lutheran general hospital in park ridge,Illinois. If your pain results from osteoarthritis, the most common cause of joint pain, your doctor will prescribe specific medications, injections or exercise.

If your doctor says you have gout or rheumatoid arthritis you will be treated for inflammation (heat and swelling)in the joints as well as the pain. But no matter what the cause of your pain, there ’s a lot you can do on your own to relieve it.

Turn up the heat – “The more chronic your pain, the better the heat is ” says Dr.Arnold.” Heat helps to relax muscles around the joint “. Moist heat is particularly effective,he says. Take a wet towel, put it in the dryer but remove it whilst the towel is still hot and wet. Then place it against the joint, putting a dry towel on top to keep the heat in. Or you can use a moist heating pad, wrapping it around the painful joint for 20 to 30 minutes.

Ice it-If you are suffering from a recent injury or from pain that has recently appeared,use cold instead of heat, says Dr.Arnold. “The sooner you put ice on it the better you are, that’s why baseball players slap it on in the dugout,” he says. Here’s Dr.Arnold ’s recommendation for an ice pack: “Buy one five pound bag of frozen peas or sweet corn and wrap it around the painful joint. You’ve got yourself an ice wrap. And then you can eat it for dinner “. You can leave the ice pack on for 20 minutes at a time.

Rest what hurts – If you have pain in just one joint or area,like the knee or neck,use a brace or a support to rest it. If many of your joints are involved, plan for 15 minutes of rest for every hour that you ’re awake. For 10 hours of activity, you’ll need one to two hours of rest. “Just put your feet up and relax “. (See specific joint pain entries for more information on dealing with pain).

Mix your OTCs - Over the counter or non-prescription painkillers will ease your arthritis pain, but be aware that steady use of anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen can increase your risk of an ulcer. Dr.Arnold suggests this solution. Say you find that you take four aspirin tablets a day, your joint pain is relieved.Instead of taking four aspirins daily, take two paracetamol tablets.

This will reduce the quantity of anti-inflammatory medicines entering (and irritating)your stomach. Paracetamol ill not help with inflammation, but is an effective painkiller that is easy for the stomach to tolerate.

Explore your range of motion -For problems of soft tissue around the joint,like bursitis and tendinitis, staying fit and flexible will prevent those tissues from tightening up and hurting even more, says physical therapist Kathleen Haralson of Washington university of Medicine in Saint Louis.

Each joint has its own natural range of movements, she explains, and each individual has to find the fine line between overuse and keeping it supple.”Listen to your body,” she says. “Don ’t overstretch, just try to exercise in your normal range of motion several times a day, depending on how painful it is. “For example, if you have a painful shoulder, raise your arm just over your head until it hurts a little bit. “You need to move painful body parts as far as you can, but do not force it, “she says”.

This is what a physiotherapist would do with you.” Get your whole body moving – People have less pain in their joints when they exercise regularly at low moderate intensity, says Haralson. Her first choice is swimming or walking in water. “Getting into hip-high water and walking to your capacity is wonderful” she says. Stationary bicycles, treadmills and low-impact aerobic dance are also good choices. If your condition means that you are chair bound, you can still have a good workout, Haralson says.

Sit in a chair, put on some moderate to fast paced music and march with your arms until you work up a good sweat, she suggests. Get a little assistance – “For people with arthritis or rheumatism, there’s a device out there that can make your life a little less painful, especially for dressing, hygiene and kitchen activities, “says Haralson”.

These devices include zipper pulls, buttoners, long handled shoe horns, long handled combs, elastic shoelaces or Velcro fasteners. She also suggests using an aid,like a cane,crutch or Zimmer, to take the weight off the painful joint. Try the anti-depressants for anti-pain – Your doctor may prescribe tricyclic analgesics,also known as tricyclic anti-depressants, for musculoskeletal pain.

These medications may be very helpful for insomnia and fatigue that often accompany rheumatism, says Sidney lock, M.D., a rheumatologist in private practice in Bangor, Maine. They ’re prescribed in smaller doses than those used for depression, and they are not addictive. “They relieve pain, help to promote a good sleep pattern and can be used for long term pain problems. “Says Dr.Block”.

Get physical with a therapist – Ask your doctor if you can be referred to a physiotherapist,suggests William Lewis,D.O., an osteopath physician from Spokeane, Washington, who also serves as president of the American association of orthopedic medicine. Physiotherapists treat the muscles and underlying ligaments around the joint by improving the joints blood supply, which promotes healing techniques such as ultrasound waves, which go deeper into the injured tissues than any
home, self-help techniques, says Dr.Lewis.

Train hard and be strong,
Mick Hart.

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