You have gotten one part of the question right about gout, which is that it causes a sharp needle-like pain, but it is usually restricted to just the area of the problem. If you are feeling pain all over your body then it is most likely a problem of referred pain, and more psychosomatic than really pain caused by injury. If you are suffering from gout you would probably be on drugs to reduce the amount of uric acid in your body, and on diuretics. Being on diuretics will sometimes cause loss of body salts and crucial electrolytes, and this can have an effect on your peripheral nervous system as well. The final verdict is that you needn't worry too much about this pain, and that you just need to concentrate on reducing your uric acid levels.
Gout is a problem that has been called the "rich man's disease." This is because the condition used to be widely prevalent in those people who had a diet rich in meat, alcohol, and had very little exercise. In gout, uric acid levels in the body are so high that it crystallizes in the joints in needle like structures that poke into the surrounding tissues. This causes inflammation and therefore the swelling. If uric acid crystallizes over the joints of a limb, then this can also cause arthritis. Uric acid forms naturally in the body and is excreted in the kidneys. This is a result of regular death of cells and the breakdown of cellular proteins. Meat products contain a substance called purine. This substance is metabolized in the body to form uric acid, and this is where the problem of gout starts.
Curing the gout is a regimen of taking diuretics, medicines that metabolise uric acid, and exercise to improve circulation. Naturally, you can augment this regime by drinking nominal amounts of coffee, and plenty of water through the day. If you can target, going to the bathroom every hour, this will go a long way into breaking down uric acid crystals in the body. Additionally, you must consider giving up red meat, and going in for a vegetarian diet along with seafood, as a red meat substitute. There is some evidence to support the fact that fructose based soft drinks are also a problem because of the high purine content in corn starch, from which fructose is synthesized. Exercising the limb gently and slowly also helps getting rid of the problem.
answered by G M