How to Have Sex with Arthritis

March 29, 2001 -- One of the most lyrical euphemisms for sexual relations comes from the hit musical "Annie Get Your Gun" in which the character of Annie Oakley sings, "still they're happy as can be, doing what comes naturally." But what happens when "Doing What Comes Naturally" is painful? Consider the female patient with arthritis in her hips where even the slightest movement hurts? Or, when pain and swelling in his hands and wrists prevents a male patient from putting any pressure on them?

For these people "natural' sexual activity is no longer possible. "They are not very happy about it and are often too embarrassed to discuss their sexual difficulties with their physician," says. Dr. Joel Rutstein, the founder and producer of ArthritisCentral.com, a pay-to-view website.

Complicating the issue is the fact that most physicians themselves may be reluctant to talk about the subject. This knowledge was enough to prompt Dr. Rutstein to produce a special video called "Pleasurable Sex and Arthritis." In the video, Dr. Rutstein helps arthritis sufferers gain the knowledge they need to make sex pleasurable and fun again.

"Having an orgasm can actually be equivalent to taking some highly beneficial medicine," Dr. Rutstein explains, "since an orgasm releases lots of endorphins in the brain which decreases a person's level of pain. If one's sexual partner does not have arthritis themselves, they may be reluctant to have sex with their arthritic partner because they are afraid of causing increased pain or injury." Dr. Rutstein adds: "They may feel quite guilty about being selfish in asking you to make love with them when you are in pain. This really emphasizes the need for open communication between the arthritis patient and his or her sexual partner."

Chronic pain and depression often associated with arthritis, and low self-esteem due to physical deformities all diminish an arthritis patient's sexual interest. "The actual pain of moving the joints or just the fear of developing discomfort with movement may cut down on the patient's ability to have an orgasm," notes Dr. Rutstein. Additionally, specific conditions pose their own particular problems. In Sjogren's Syndrome, for example, females may experience extreme vaginal dryness due to an inability to produce adequate lubricating secretions, and this may lead to painful intercourse. In systemic lupus erythematosus, fatigue may be severe and contribute to decreased sexual desire. Strong pain medications also can affect one's sex drive.

Dr. Rutstein suggests that viewers "throw out the old Sexual Rules Book" and try some new approaches that will bring pleasure. He also points out the importance of timing and planning sex based on the type of arthritis you have or the side effects experienced from medication. He encourages arthritis patients to have fun and gain sexual fulfillment through his many suggestions on how to enjoy sex in spite of arthritis. As always Dr. Rutstein signs off with his personal mantra-"Never give up and never lose hope!"

The "Pleasurable Sex and Arthritis" program is part of the ArthritisCentral.com Coping Series, which are "Programs to Help You Deal with Your Arthritis and Osteoporosis". This video program is part of the rapidly expanding video library, known as Arthritis.TV, found at the ArthritisCentral.com site. Six different unique series of videos are available to arthritis patients, containing almost six hours of material with over 30 different programs on a wide range of subjects dealing with arthritis and osteoporosis.

Over forty million Americans suffer with arthritis, so that these types of sexual issues affect and concern a large portion of the population. One in four individuals will experience some type of musculo-skeletal condition in their lifetime when including the over 100 types of rheumatic diseases, tendonitis, bursitis, and spinal conditions. Another twenty million or more people suffer from osteoporosis.

All ArthritisCentral.com programs are offered in both low and high bandwidth formats.

The cost for a one-year subscription to ArthritisCentral.com including Arthritis.TV is $11.95. Included in this fee are Dr. Rutstein's Book, "The Arthritis Forum" (a $15.95 Value) and access to the Arthritis Forum, an online exchange of select questions and answers between Dr. Rutstein and his subscribers. Additionally, subscribers receive e-mail alerts about what's new in the world of arthritis, special "Women's Corner" and "Case Studies" articles.

About ArthritisCentral.com

ArthritisCentral.com debuted in February 2001 after two years of research and development by Texas-rheumatologist Dr. Joel Rutstein. At ArthritisCentral.com every piece of information is physician written and produced. It is the only site of its kind offering televised arthritis-themed streaming video even a novice user can easily download. The site is published in both English and Spanish.

Dr. Joel E. Rutstein founded the Arthritis Diagnostic & Treatment Center in San Antonio in 1978 and is the clinic's director. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania's college and later its school of medicine, Dr. Rutstein went on to complete his internship and residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He was board certified in internal medicine in 1974. He served as a major in the US Army at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio teaching medicine to all the physicians' assistants from 1974 through 1976. He then completed a two-year fellowship in rheumatology at the UTHSC in San Antonio and became board certified in rheumatology in 1978. Dr. Rutstein is currently Clinical Professor of Medicine at the UTHSC. He is past president of the Texas Rheumatism Association. He is a past recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the South Texas Arthritis Foundation. He is a member of the Bexar County Medical Society, the Texas Medical Association and the American Medical Association. He is a fellow member of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians. He is married and has two daughters.