Arthritis Muscle Pain – Why the Muscles
Arthritis is a degenerative joint disease, so from where does the arthritis muscle pain come? Arthritis muscle pain comes from the stress and strain on muscles surrounding the affected joints. As cartilage and soft tissue is worn away, either by autoimmune attacks from rheumatoid arthritis, erosion from osteoarthritis, or by cellular destruction from infectious arthritis, bones begin to rub against bone. This causes pain and stiffness, which in turn causes changes in how the individual moves and uses the joint. This can create undue strain on the muscles, resulting in arthritis muscle pain.
Just as arthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints and cartilage, it can also cause further degeneration of other systems involved in joint mobility. As pain associated with mobility increases, muscle weakness becomes an increasing problem, compounding arthritis muscle pain. Secondary changes such as loss of flexibility and stiffness decrease aerobic fitness, thereby perpetuating loss of muscle mass. The loss of muscle mass further contributes to arthritis muscle pain. It becomes something of a vicious cycle of joint pain straining muscles, which causes activity to decrease, which causes further arthritis muscle pain and weakness, setting the stage for further degeneration.
While arthritis muscle pain is an unavoidable part of all forms of arthritis, there are treatments and remedies available to lessen its severity. By easing the painful symptoms of arthritis such as joint pain, swelling, and arthritis muscle pain, patients can retain a certain degree of flexibility and thus slow progression of the disease. Such symptom management generally includes the use of over the counter or prescription medication to combat arthritis muscle pain and swelling, dietary supplements to improve immunity, as well as exercise routines to strengthen muscles. Keeping muscles strong allows them to provide more support for deteriorating joints and soft tissue.
The benefits of stronger muscles include an increase in flexibility while simultaneously diminishing arthritis muscle pain. When exercise and tolerable levels of muscle strengthening are included as part of the overall treatment for rheumatoid or osteoarthritis other remedies for arthritis muscle pain, arthritic stiffness, and joint pain are more effective. An analgesic medication alone may reduce arthritis muscle pain, but combined with proper exercise, more relief is possible. Medication and exercise combined with dietary supplements which help combat arthritic symptoms provides even further relief, not only from arthritis muscle pain, but from joint stiffness, pain and swelling. The exercise and dietary components can also help with secondary health issues resulting from arthritis such as obesity and high cholesterol.
