After being brushed by one of the stinging nettles, I can see where you would forget about your arthritis if you hit yourself with a handful. i've also heard of Stinging nettles helping arthritis. There is a practice I believe in Japan, of grabbing a number of stalks of stinging nettles and lightly hitting the affected area of arthritis, say the shoulder, the knee, whatever, and after the initial reaction (dermatitally) goes away, the chemical composition relieves the pain of arthritis for a few weeks. I dunno if it's true or not, and as I don't have arthritis am unwilling to try.......