1. Take a Pain-Relieving Medication on a Regular Basis
Whenever your arthritis causes you pain, reach for a pain-relieving medication. Some people, such as those with osteoarthritis and gout, may have only intermittent pain and might not need to take a pain reliever every day. Others, particularly people with rheumatoid arthritis, may have more constant pain and need to take a pain reliever each day. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, like acetaminophen and ibuprofen, are good for less-severe pain. More serious pain will need a prescription medication, such as a nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drug.
2. Take a Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are used to help people with rheumatoid arthritis manage their symptoms. Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation and swelling of the joints, fatigue and cartilage destruction. DMARDs attack the disease process at the cellular level to reduce or eliminate these symptoms. People on DMARDs often find they have more energy, less swelling and less inflammation. In many cases, the destruction of their joints is halted or significantly slowed down. DMARDs are available in oral tablets, prefilled injections and intravenous solutions (to be given at your doctor's office or at a hospital).
3. Adjust Your Diet
Diet definitely plays a role in gout. High levels of uric acid in the body form the crystals that get into one or more joints to cause intense pain. You can lower your levels of uric acid by reducing or eliminating purine-rich foods from your diet, including organ meats, shrimp, anchovies and caviar.
Diet may also play a role in rheumatoid arthritis. While the diet connection is not proven, many people with the condition report an improvement in symptoms if they avoid certain foods. These foods seem to differ from person to person, but some of the most common foods reported to worsen symptoms are dairy products, wheat and nightshade vegetables. Try eliminating these foods from your diet for 2 weeks, and then gradually reintroduce them one by one. If you find your symptoms worsen after reintroducing a certain food, eliminate it from your diet permanently.
4. Consider a Joint Replacement
While drastic, joint replacements do offer relief from pain in cases where nothing else has worked. Joints that don't respond to other types of pain control are usually very damaged from arthritis, often with bone-on-bone contact due to cartilage destruction. Most joints can now be replaced, though factors like age and overall physical condition will play a role in whether or not your doctor recommends a joint replacement for you. Some joint replacements, such as knees and hips, can last 20 to 25 years or more. Other types, such as elbows and ankles, are relatively new medical advances and may only last from 5 to 15 years before repair or replacement is necessary.
