arthritis and mental health

[stiff19]

I understand mental health and arthritis can be linked. arthritis can cause mental health problems and visa versa . in juvenile arthritis I cant work out if daughter had mental struggles after or before as joint problems taken so long to be diagnosed.

[piglette]

I am not sure mental health problems can cause arthritis, where did you hear that? I was with Arthritis Care (now Versus Arthritis) for over twenty years and even became a trustee of the charity. During that time I met hundreds of people with arthritis of several forms, also rheumatologists, doctors and people working with children and adults with arthritis. This was a while ago, but I don’t remember anyone particularly talking about mental health problems, although I am sure the pain affected everyone. Perhaps things have changed more recently with reference to mental health.

[stiff19 in reply to piglette]

depression and anxiety and stress especially can cause many physical problems ,this is why I suspect there are sero positive and negatives in immune, inflammation is a cause and of many systemic problems and illnesses where stress is a factor, ad chronic stress can lead to sustained high levels of the hormones like adrenaline and cortisol contributing to systemic inflammation one of the most common arthritis symptoms so I guess then it puts the immune system out of balance so yes on that it may be a huge factor especially as joint pain is a symptom of people with depression and ive read some studies suggest a correlation between chronic stress and an increased risk of developing arthritis, though I guess more research needs to be done if no one can definitively say but it starts somewhere and not all genetic 🤷‍♀️

[BenLabrador]

I think there is a subtle, but maybe not direct, connection. A GP recommended the Curable App which connects chronic pain with things that upset us in the past. When I am stressed and upset my arthritic pain increases. I have also come across the book The Body Keeps The Score but haven’t read it so cannot comment. Thinking I caused my arthritis because of the way I reacted to a negative event seems like another opportunity to blame myself unnecessarily.

[stiff19]

not meant that way at all, if a labourer gets arthritis or anyone I wouldn't expect them to blame themselves or anyone for that matter, we all live life and I hope there's not many blaming themselves for having arthritis