Stress and Arthritis.

Last updated Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Manage Stress

What are the signs and symptoms of stress?

Managing stress begins with learning the signs and symptoms of stress.

• Tiredness/exhaustion
• Muscle tension
• Anxiety
• Indigestion
• Nervousness/trembling
• Sleeplessness
• Cold, sweaty hands
• Loss of or increased appetite
• Grinding teeth/clenching jaws
• General body complaints, such as weakness, dizziness, headache, stomachache, or pain in the back or muscles.

It's possible that some of these symptoms may be caused by problems other than stress, such as the flu. Ask your doctor about symptoms that last for more than a week. If your doctor decides that stress is the problem, you can work together to understand and relieve it.

How can a person with arthritis manage stress?

The key to managing stress is to get stress to work for you instead of against you. A complete program for managing stress has three parts:

1. Learn how to reduce stress.
2. Learn how to accept what you can't change.
3. Learn how to overcome the harmful effects of stress.

Suggestions for following these guidelines are described in the following pages.

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