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Gout Pain Relief

The Basics

Treatment for gout can come in a variety of packages and there are many things to consider when planning a course of treatment with your health care provider.  Such considerations as pain relief, reducing the risk of future attacks and understanding the possible long-term effects on your health are important to explore together.  The most obvious area a person tends to focus on is pain relief - immediate, if possible - however, focusing on one area alone may be leaving the door open for added risks.

Certainly there are lifestyle adjustments which can and should be made to strengthen your position in terms of managing gout.  It is advisable to maintain a healthy body weight through a well-balanced diet and with exercise.  Avoiding irritants such as alcohol, especially beer, and purine rich foods are also useful strategies.  Professional consultation may include oral medications for inflammation or perhaps natural supplements to ease swelling and pain.  All of these can be part of an effective treatment plan to manage the symptoms of gout and help to prevent future attacks.

Another Form of Treatment

There is also a fast and safe way to address joint pain available for gout sufferers.  Injecting medication directly into a joint allows the physician to apply the therapy directly to the affected area, thus avoiding the possibilities of toxic reaction in the body which can be caused by some medications.  This is also a sound method for the removal of fluid from joints to allow for analysis and diagnosis in the possible event of infection or disease.

For some of us, the very idea of a needle into a joint brings shudders.  However, experienced professionals can accomplish the feat very quickly and safely often with minimal discomfort.  Usually a topical spray is used to "freeze" the surface of the skin which reduces the feeling of the needle going into the joint.  Similar to the type of needles used to draw blood, injections go directly into the joint and, if the joint is relaxed, pain is minimal.  There are few risks with this type of treatment and as long as the injection isn't given through diseased skin, there is little chance of infection.

What's In That Needle?

To relieve the pain of gout in the joints, the medication most frequently used is a corticosteroid designed to remain largely in the joint area.  The benefit can be very long lasting - often providing relief for several months - and may be all that is necessary to control the pain of an attack.