Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Don't Rule My Aud Life

Stress is a major player when it comes to Rheumatoid Arthritis pain. Right now I’m dealing with painful lumps and sore joints in both of my knees because of stress from the day before.

I hate going to the dentist, absolutely afraid of it! Yesterday I left my morning appointment with a very sore mouth. I thought I would brighten up my smile and have my teeth whitened, they didn’t tell me how sensitive my teeth would be until after I had the procedure. It felt like 8 teeth were being drilled- horrible!

Since I am on blood thinners I need to have my coagulation checked regularly, my daughter, Jill, also needed to have a blood test done . I thought, “Well, we might as well get it over with today!” And off we trotted to the hospital. We went in at 1:15 and came out at 7pm. We live in a town that has a shortage of doctors, so we have no family doctor and any tests or prescriptions that are needed to be filled are done at our local hospital’s walk-in clinic. Most often I am there for an hour- but not yesterday.

I sat for 6 hours with  zinging, painful teeth and an 8 year old who clearly did not want to be there. By the time I got home, I was a ball of stress!

This morning I woke up with a happier mouth, but very unhappy knees. By noon I could see bumps starting to rise, and by late afternoon I looked like I was growing extra knee caps.

I know first hand how stress plays a role in arthritis pain. I’ve talked with many other sufferers who also have experience with this as well. The hard thing is removing it. In this day and age everything is fast paced, and so many lifestyles seem to require high stress. It’s imperative that we realize how detrimental it is to our health, and even more important for people with chronic conditions to have this under control.

What I find helpful is to get warm. Today I spent some time in the sun and it did wonders. In the chilly seasons, I will spend quality time with my heating pad. I also try to remember to ask for help. I can be very stubborn (so I’m told) and don’t always want to admit that I can’t do everything. But I’ve found that you get stuff when you ask! So I’ve learned to ask my husband, my children or my mum for help when I need it.

So when stress is creeping in from all sides. Take a break, get comfy and let your body get the relaxation it needs, ask for help. Don’t be stubborn- you deserve to be pain free!

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