What went through your mind when you were first diagnosed with arthritis?
“How bad is it going to get?”
“How did I get it?”
“Did I bring this on myself?”
When you receive a diagnosis, your mind can jump to many places. Sometimes, people blame themselves for developing their condition, thinking that they could’ve avoided this if they’d done things differently. So is arthritis self-inflicted?
How do people get arthritis?
The term arthritis is used as an umbrella for many chronic pain conditions that cause discomfort and inflammation in the joints. Some forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), are autoimmune conditions. This is where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues, in this case the joints.
There still isn’t a consensus on what causes autoimmune conditions and why some people develop them and some don’t. Stress, genetics, immune system dysfunction, infection, and lifestyle factors like smoking may contribute to the likelihood of autoimmune arthritis. But ultimately we still don’t know exactly why some people develop chronic inflammation – and it’s not your fault if you do. There are many forms of arthritis, and the remainder of this article will focus on osteoarthritis.
“Sometimes people feel like they have brought a chronic illness like arthritis on themselves,” says Dr. Mike McGrath, a Board Certified Psychiatrist and Chief Clinical Officer. “This can cause them to feel intense guilt and embarrassment. It’s important to remember that arthritis is not something that a person brings on themselves. Arthritis is caused by a variety of factors, including genetics.”
When it comes to osteoarthritis, it’s important to understand what’s happening. Everyone’s joints are subjected to low levels of damage. In most cases, your body repairs this damage and you never even notice it. In osteoarthritis, the protective cartilage – the smooth, flexible tissue that cushions and covers the ends of bones within a joint—begins to wear down. As the cartilage deteriorates, the bones may start to rub directly against each other, leading to inflammation, pain, and stiffness.
The risk factors for osteoarthritis include age, family history, previously being diagnosed with another form of arthritis, and being a woman – none of which you can control. Obesity, being in the military, and overusing a damaged joint are also risk factors for developing osteoarthritis. These are slightly more in our control, but they also don’t mean you will develop osteoarthritis – or that you won’t develop it if you’re thin, don’t join the military and never exercise.
“When patients say they feel responsible for their arthritis, we remind them that arthritis isn’t their fault,” says Anand Mehta, Executive Director at AMFM Healthcare, a residential mental healthcare facility. “It’s caused by a mix of things, like genetics, age, or injuries, and not something you could have fully controlled. Blaming yourself only adds to the pain, and you don’t deserve that.”
We can’t control what happens to us
“In life, we cannot control the first arrow because it represents the unexpected conditions of life. But we can control how we respond to the second arrow,” the Buddha is meant to have said. We can’t control what happens to us. There are so many external and in this case internal factors that are out of our control. All we can do in life is choose how we respond, and do what we can to take care of ourselves.
“As I say to patients who come to me with any injury; all of the things we see on x-ray or in the clinic are just telling us the story about how well your body has worked to get you to this point,” says Dr. Jessie Duppler PT, DPT at Chain Reaction Physical Therapy. “Any joint degradation, muscle strain, or pain is due to your body figuring out ways to keep you moving forward, despite whatever got thrown its way. So really what it tells us is that your body is super resilient and has built up strategies, but those strategies are just no longer working for you. It doesn’t mean your body can’t learn new strategies to move more effectively and with less pain.”
Can exercising too much cause arthritis?
“Exercise is most definitely not to blame for joint pain or osteoarthritis,” says Dr Jessie. “In fact, there is a mountain of research that suggests that exercise can prevent osteoarthritis. Additionally, if a patient has arthritis, exercise typically improves their pain. This is seen in people who feel very stiff in the morning, but then feel like they “warm up” throughout the day. All of our joints are filled with what is called synovial fluid. This fluid helps lubricate and feed the joint. Exercise helps move that synovial fluid, “bathing” the joint and actually improving the gliding of the joint.”
Engaging in low-impact forms of exercise (which puts less strain on your muscles and joints) is really important when you have osteoarthritis, because it can help strengthen the muscles around the joint, improve bone strength, increase energy, enhance sleep, elevate your mood, and it can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. It’s important to enjoy the exercise you do, so that you’re motivated to do it for the sake of it rather than seeing it as a chore. You may like to try yoga, pilates, dance tai chi, water aerobics, swimming, walking in water, walking on land, cycling, or using some of the machines at the gym.
What can you do to manage arthritis?
“One of the best treatments for osteoarthritis is movement,” adds Dr Jessie. “A comprehensive evaluation by a physical therapist can help you determine what movements and what kind of exercise will be most helpful for your osteoarthritis. A good physical therapist can help you not only find movements that feel good, but also improve your movement patterns and strength to decrease pain. There are also regenerative therapies, such as platelet-rich plasma, that can help with healing some connective tissues. Heat or ice may also be helpful to manage pain.”
Other things that can help you manage your arthritis include eating a healthy, balanced, low inflammatory diet. It’s also important to take care of your mental health, as this can transform your relationship with your condition. “Practices like mindfulness, journaling, or talking to a therapist can help you cope with the emotional side of living with arthritis,” says Anand. “It’s okay to feel frustrated or sad sometimes, but remember, you’re not alone, and reaching out for support can make a big difference.”
Some people find medication helpful, although it’s not always a long term solution. There are also drug-free treatments for osteoarthritis available. One of these options is FlexiSEQ, a drug-free gel which is clinically proven to relieve pain and stiffness and improve impaired joint function associated with all stages of osteoarthritis. A study found that 86% of participants agreed that FlexiSEQ Max Strength (for Osteoarthritis) helped improve their overall joint health, while 84% of participants agreed that FlexiSEQ Max Strength improved their joint mobility.
Did you ever think that you’d brought it on yourself when you were diagnosed with arthritis? How did you get out of that mindset? Let us know on Facebook!
