When Arthritis Saps Your Strength

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When Arthritis Saps

Your Strength

Fatigue is almost as common

among arthritis sufferers as pain, and it can be just as debilitating.

Fortunately, there are many ways to combat the problem and regain your energy.

Fatigue is common among people with arthritis

and arthritis-related diseases, such as lupus and fibromyalgia.

The possible causes are many, but whatever the underlying reason, arthritis can

trigger a vicious cycle that only makes the fatigue worse. To begin, the pain

and inflammation of arthritis sap your energy, and you become less active; the

inactivity reduces the amount of oxygen-rich blood moving through your body,

and your muscles become less efficient; and less efficient muscles require more

energy—making you feel even more fatigued.

Why do I feel so run down?

Arthritis can tire you out because your body

uses energy trying to heal itself. And pain can wear you down both physically

and emotionally. The first step in managing fatigue is to work with your doctor

to achieve the best possible control over your arthritis and the accompanying

pain.

Among the other potential causes of fatigue

are stress and anxiety. Living with any chronic, painful condition can stress

you out, and arthritis is no exception. In response to those stressful

feelings, your body releases chemicals that speed up your metabolism and make

your muscles tense. All this takes a lot of energy, leaving less for your daily

routines.

Depression is another common emotional cause

of fatigue. It’s not unusual for people with arthritis, like those with

any persistent health problem, to feel down—or even to go a step farther

into the extreme sadness of true depression. Not only does depression cause

fatigue, it can worsen the fatigue a person has.

Of course, there are physical contributors to

fatigue as well. Inactivity, poor nutrition, inadequate sleep, and medical

conditions other than the arthritis are among the most common.

Restoring your vitality

You can take positive action if stress is contributing

to your fatigue. Exercise may be the last thing on your mind when you’re

feeling tired, but taking a walk, a bike ride, or a swim—any form of

exercise, in fact—can help “burn off” stress and anxiety.

Other effective stress reduction techniques include progressive muscle

relaxation, guided imagery, biofeedback, and meditation. If nothing you try

seems to work, see your doctor. Your fatigue may be linked to something other

than stress, such as depression.

Physical activity plays an important role in

combating arthritis-related fatigue whether stress is part of the problem or

not. Although you may be tempted to rest more when feeling tired, that can

actually make you feel more run down. In the beginning, just focus on

increasing your current level of activity—park the car a little farther

from the store or walk around the block during your lunch hour—and build

from there.

Poor nutrition is another common cause of

fatigue. People with arthritis don’t always absorb nutrients as well as

they should. Make sure you’re eating a well-balanced diet that emphasizes

healthy foods. If lack of appetite is a problem for you, try having frequent

small meals throughout the day rather than three large meals.

Nothing saps your energy like being

overweight, so try to shed extra pounds. Here again, increasing your physical

activity level is key.

Sleep is frequently disrupted by the pain of

arthritis, leading to daytime fatigue. And even if you’re getting 8 hours

of sleep, you may not be getting the quality of sleep you need. That’s

almost as important as quantity. Many factors, including a person’s use

of alcohol and medications (including sleeping pills), can disrupt the natural

sleep cycles necessary for feeling truly rested. If you often have trouble sleeping

or feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, discuss the problem with

your doctor.

People with arthritis may have other medical

conditions that contribute to persistent fatigue. Anemia (a shortage of

oxygen-carrying red blood cells) or an underactive

thyroid gland are examples. Your doctor can diagnose both of those

problems with simple blood tests and treat them with medications.

From Arthritis

Self-Management and Arthritis Today

Published: May/Jun 2004