Not Everything That "Pains" Is Psoriatic Arthritis

After attending a very interesting talk by a rheumatologist, it left me with a lot to think about. Not everything that pains me is a result of my psoriatic arthritis, I mean come on, are you serious? I blame it for just about everything. That seems to make sense in my head. If it hurts it must be because of my psoriatic arthritis. So when this small truth bomb was released on me, it really gave me some room for thought.

Is it true and what would be the point in figuring it out? How would it change my way of thinking, would it at all?

If not pain from psoriatic arthritis, what could possibly be the cause?

So if it is not PsA, then what is it? This was my first question and no doubt it, I'm sure it's running through your mind too. There are various reasons that we could be hurting and pain could be stemming from a variety of places. 

Human bodies all ache and pain at some stage or another. Repetitive movement and wear and tear can play a role in this. If you sleep in an awkward position then you may wake up with a sore neck, shoulder or even back. If you have had a more than usual strenuous day, physically, you could find that you have some extra pain levels the next day.

No persistent pain should ever be dismissed as nothing. If you are experiencing new and consistent pain you should see your doctor. Figure out what is going on and get it treated.

Why knowing the cause of pain matters

A better state of mind is my biggest gain. For me, knowing and reminding myself that not everything is PsA, helps. When I connect it all to my PsA, my brain goes flat and I start to feel sorry for myself about how my disease is getting so much worse. However, the pain just might be that my body is tired, that I walked badly or I slept in a silly position. That seems to calm the mind a bit. 

Once I regain control of my thoughts, it seems a lot easier to keep everything under control. Just being open to the possibility that it might actually just be a sore muscle and not my psoriatic arthritis seems to make a big difference to my mental state.

I have to avoid that focus that yet another part of my life is ending due to this condition, I need to stop assuming the worst and calm myself down to mild panic. It's important to reassess and reevaluate what is actually going on and what your body is telling you.