STRESS AND ARTHRITIS
Stress in life can become a complicated issue when someone has the added burden of ongoing joint pains and limitations with arthritis. To find solutions, it is important to understand how stress and arthritis interact.
ARTHRITIS WORSENS STRESS
Dealing with ongoing pain and stiffness, or getting a sudden flare-up can make daily activities much more difficult. If you cannot get through your daily tasks because your arthritis slows you down, you will tend to feel stressed. Pain can cause you to miss work which can have various stressful consequences. If your pain prevents you from getting enough sleep, then you will get tired during the day, which won’t help matters. Also, arthritis may prevent you from enjoying hobbies and physical activities that would normally provide stress relief.
STRESS WORSENS ARTHRITIS
Stress takes a toll on your body. People that are constantly under stress become fatigued, anxious, and tense. Stress triggers reactions in the body that can raise inflammation, which can cause an arthritis flare-up or worsen current symptoms. Therefore, continued increases in stress over time can significantly worsen arthritis.
PAIN IS STRESSFUL
No one ever wants to be in pain. When your arthritis is difficult to control, or if you have lots of flare-ups, you may become preoccupied with your arthritis. If you develop negative feelings, you may start to feel overwhelmed with the stress of not knowing if and when your pain will resolve.
Knowing that stress and arthritis can be interrelated, learn coping techniques to help get ou through difficult moments.
- Keep working on your arthritis- remember to see your doctor regularly and stay committed to working towards resolving your symptoms while staying active.
- Spend quality time- balance your stress with healthy activities. light exercise can actually improve arthritis symptoms. Time with family and friends can relieve stress.
- Keep your schedule flexible- When you are feeling good, do as much as you can. When your arthritis is slowing you down, take it easy, keep a light schedule, and save as many tasks as you can for another day.
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