Key takeaways

  • Lupus-related pain stems from inflammation, often causing joint swelling and muscle stiffness, particularly in areas like the neck, shoulders, and extremities.
  • Lupus pain may get worse at night, likely related to a drop in anti-inflammatory hormones and a decrease in your ability to tolerate pain when there’s less distraction from the day.
  • Managing lupus pain involves a combination of strategies, including physical therapy to strengthen muscles, medications to relieve pain and suppress the immune system, and home remedies like exercise, heat application, and stress reduction.

Pain is a common symptom of lupus. Many people with lupus experience chronic pain, and for some people, this pain is severe. Lupus pain can occur throughout the body and can make daily activities difficult.

Treatment for lupus pain depends on the severity of symptoms and on what works best for you, but often includes physical therapy, pain relieving medication, and immunosuppressive medication.

You can also manage lupus pain at home with rest and heat. Taking steps to stay active and reduce stress can also help ease pain.

Lupus causes inflammation throughout your body. This can lead to painful, swollen joints and stiff muscles.

Lupus pain can affect the joints in the shoulders, elbows, hands, and feet. It can also cause muscle aches in the hips, thighs, shoulders, and arms. This pain sometimes moves and affects different joints at different times.

Lupus can also lead to other types of pain. This includes:

  • Hypermobility: Hypermobility causes your joints to be overly flexible. It can lead to difficulty balancing, pain, and joint dislocation.
  • Fibromyalgia: Fibromyalgia is more common in people with lupus than in people without lupus. Fibromyalgia causes pain all over the body.
  • Groin pain: Lupus can lead to a serious complication called avascular necrosis that can lead to bone damage and pain. This complication happens when the blood supply to the bone is disrupted. It’s important to tell your doctor if you experience this type of pain so that they can address it quickly.
  • Peripheral neuropathy: Lupus-related inflammation can damage the nerves in the body. This can lead to a type of pain known as peripheral neuropathy, which causes numbness, tingling, and inability to move affected parts of the body.

Pain is worse at night for a number of autoimmune and pain conditions, including lupus. Doctors and medical researchers don’t know exactly what causes this increase in pain.

One thought is that it may be due to hormone levels in your body that drop during the night. For instance, your body releases less of the anti-inflammatory hormone cortisol overnight, and that may increase inflammation.

Additionally, your ability to tolerate pain may actually go down at night, as there’s less distraction and more time to focus on the pain itself.

Lupus symptoms can vary. Although pain is , not everyone with lupus will experience the same level of pain, and not everyone will have pain that lasts for the same amount of time.

Some people might have mild pain that comes and goes, while others have severe pain almost every day. Plus, lupus can be unpredictable, even from flare to flare in the same person.

For example, you could have a lupus flare that lasts only a day or so and experience mild pain. Then, a few weeks later, you could have a flare of severe pain that lasts 2 weeks.

There are several ways to manage lupus pain. You and your doctor can work together to can find treatments that work best for you and for your lifestyle. You might need to try a few different things before you find the best plan for your plan.

Treatment options for lupus pain include:

  • Physical therapy: Physical therapy can help strengthen your muscles to better support your joints. A physical therapist can also teach you pain management techniques.
  • Pain-relieving medications: Medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, and muscle relaxers can help relieve lupus pain.
  • Immunosuppressive medications: Immunosuppressive medications can help lower inflammation throughout your body.
  • Alternative treatments: Some people report that alternative treatments such as acupuncture, massage therapy, meditation, chiropractic care, or acupressure help them manage lupus pain.

What helps lupus pain at home?

There are several steps you can take to manage lupus pain at home. These include:

  • Getting exercise: Low impact exercise can help you manage pain. A physical therapist can help you develop an exercise plan.
  • Using heat: Applying heat can reduce your pain. You can try a hot bath or shower for a simple approach. You can also use a hot compress, heating pad, or towel directly on a painful joint.
  • Getting enough rest: Making sure to get enough rest can help your body recover and can reduce pain.
  • Avoiding painful motions: There might be some motions or activities that are always painful. Paying attention to how you feel as you go about your day can help you recognize and then avoid those activities.
  • Reducing stress: Stress can increase muscle tension and make your pain worse. Reducing your stress levels can reduce your pain.

Lupus pain is chronic and can often be managed at home and with the help of your doctor. However, there are times you might need to seek urgent medical care.

Lupus is a medical emergency if you experience any of the following:

  • trouble breathing
  • coughing up blood
  • chest pain
  • weakness or numbness in the arms or legs
  • confusion, altered mental state, hallucinations, or psychosis
  • severe headache
  • trouble speaking
  • a fever over 101°F (38°C)
  • severe stomach pain
  • bleeding or bruising easily
  • changes in urine (little to no output, dark, or bloody urine)

Living with lupus

Living with a chronic and painful condition like lupus can be overwhelming and isolating, but you don’t have to manage it on your own. There are resources you can turn to for help, including:

  • Lupus Research Alliance (LRA): You’ll find a community forum where you connect with other people who have lupus when you visit The LRA. This organization is also dedicated to research and advocacy.
  • The Lupus Foundation of America: The Lupus Foundation of America is a great resource if you’re looking for local and online support. They can help you find community support groups, medical answers, financial assistance, and more.
  • The Autoimmune Association: You’ll find resources such as educational materials, support groups, doctor matching, and more with the Autoimmune Association.
  • Pain Connection Support Groups: You can find online support and community for chronic pain any day of the week with a Pain Connection Support Group.

Lupus is a painful condition that can be difficult to manage. Pain can occur throughout the body and can make it hard to enjoy everyday life. Some people experience pain that gets worse overnight and interrupts sleep.

Treatment can help ease lupus pain. Common treatment options include medication and physical therapy. Many people also use home pain-relieving methods, such as rest and heat. The best treatment depends on factors such as the severity of your symptoms and your lifestyle.