There's no doubt about it - the pain associated with arthritis can be intense. Depending where your arthritis is located, you might have pain in your joints or your back. You may even find it difficult to move about when your arthritis pain flares up. The frustrating part is that quite often your arthritis could start acting up, and you can't even pinpoint what's aggravating it. Perhaps it's the weather, or maybe you sleep in the wrong position - but you don't know for sure.

Arthritis pain can be extremely hard to live with. Arthritis in the back is one of the most painful forms of arthritis, and can interfere with your daily life extensively. If it flares up during the damp season, for example, it may be that you feel obliged to stay at home for days on end. Strolling around the shops or playing golf may be out of the question for you. You may spend a great deal of time sitting or lying down in an attempt to cope with the level of pain.

Having arthritis pain in the knee is also extremely tiresome. Moving about requires your knee joint to flex, and if that's painful, you may feel it's easier to cut down your favourite activities so that you can do less walking. You might also find your knee aches badly when it's cold outside, and may even start to ache right before the weather changes. Some people find their body acts as a type of weather meter, which has its advantages, but the arthritis pain generally outweighs that.

Reality is that no matter whereabouts in your body you have arthritis, there are times when arthritis pain can be unbearable. If you have a family history of arthritis, and find that you're suffering consistent pain in your shoulder, back, neck, hip or knee, then it's a good idea to visit your doctor for a check-up. Your doctor will be able to make sure that it's arthritis that's the problem, not another condition, and will be able to prescribe pain relief for you. If the pain is mild or infrequent, your doctor may suggest that you use over the counter pain relief for your arthritis.