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If osteoarthritis causes you pain or discomfort, romance may not be at the top of your list. Yet, osteoarthritis doesn’t have to mean the end of your love life. Just don’t be surprised if it changes. You and your partner may need to think differently and creatively about intimacy.
Talk about it
If you and your partner haven’t been physically intimate for some time, it may help to talk. Getting intimate again can be hard. Nothing can replace talking with your spouse or partner about your feelings, from your worries and fears to your love.
For some people, fear of pain may make them afraid to get physically close. But, much like exercise, sexual activity usually won’t make your condition worse.
Bring back the romance
Managing pain may make your love life less spur-of-the-moment. You may need to schedule your pain medicine(s) around your sexual activity. Try to look at the plusses of planning. Make a date with your spouse or partner. Plan a romantic evening or a cozy morning. Think of things to make it special.
If your body can’t take strong activity, try massages, gentle touching, and other forms of skin-to-skin contact. Be sure that you and your partner both know your limits: What feels good and what doesn’t.
Not in the mood?
Sometimes the physical stress or pain of osteoarthritis may affect your interest in sex. If you’ve had any problems with desire or performance, talk with your doctor. You don’t need to give up your love life to be pain-free! Your doctor may not raise the issue first. Be frank about what your problems are.
Also, people with osteoarthritis who get depressed may lose interest in sex. If you think you may be depressed, talk with your doctor right away.
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