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My sister in-law Janet, 35, has a joint problem in her finger, ankle and knee. Unknown cause, it left her to endure the excruciating pain that made it hard for her to sleep and move around. As a mother of two boys, she worked hard to take care of them while the dad is at work. The pain grew worst with stabbing pains in her joints and the inflammation is spreading to other parts of her body. This time her husband took her to a rheumatologist.
The first step in treating chronic pain is to identify the source of the pain, if possible. Many people with chronic pain try to tough it out like what Janet did. Common types of chronic pain include back pain, headaches, arthritis, cancer pain, and neuropathic pain, which results from injury to nerves. But persistent pain should never be ignored because it could signal disease or injury that will worsen if left untreated. Sometimes, it turns out that the cause of pain is unknown.
Treatment for chronic pain is about much more than medication. It can also involve stress relief and relaxation, physical therapy, improved sleep and nutrition habits, and exercise.
Right now, no definite cause of her rheumatoid arthritis but by going up and down the 3 floors the inflammation of her ankle subsided but the pain in her finger is still there especially when it’s cold. She finds relief by taking Arcoxia at night and over the counter mefenamic during the day.
Any given pain is discomforting and can drag us down. But it is about being a mother first that kept her strong and not letting pain define what she can or cant do.