Arthritic Pain – Sources and Effects

10117 Elbow Pain
10117 Elbow Pain

What Pain Does

Arthritis - Elbow Pain
Pain is the body's early warning system that something is wrong. It alerts you to danger. The pain associated with arthritis can either be acute, meaning short-lived like the kind you experience immediately after an injury, a cut, a burn, or breaking a bone, or chronic meaning long-lived and ongoing.

Why the Severity of Pain Varies

For some reason that is not yet fully understood, the severity of the pain linked with the various types of arthritis can vary widely from person to person. This is partly because the intensity of the pain results from a combination of different sources including "inflammation of the synovial membrane (tissue that lines the joints), the tendons, or the ligaments; muscle strain; and fatigue." 1

Everybody has a different pain threshold determined by both physical and emotional factors including "depression, anxiety, and even hypersensitivity at the affected sites due to inflammation and tissue injury. This increased sensitivity appears to affect the amount of pain perceived by the individual."1

The experience of pain varies from person to person, but remains a private, unique and largely unseen experience. It makes sense that depression and anxiety lower your immune system and pain threshold, and that pain, especially long term pain, in turn can often lead into depression and anxiety creating a vicious circle.

Get Help to Manage Pain

It's important to talk to your GP or specialist and tell him or her just how much pain you are in. Chronic pain is going to get anyone down and can lead to depression so it is important to do something about it. Talk to your medical practitioners about it and do what you can to better manage it.

Reference:
1. HealingWell.com