Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by damage of the joints, leading to swelling, inflammation and pain. Because it is often a progressive condition, getting worse as time goes on, patients and doctors alike aim to treat the cause of rheumatoid arthritis in the first weeks that it presents, or at least try to slow any degeneration that may occur.

In the past people with rheumatoid arthritis were often treated with gold injections and anti inflammatory drugs to ease their pain. Unfortunately today there is still no definitive cure for the condition, although there is a huge range of possible treatments for the condition, including drugs that slow the progression of the disease and allow a better quality of life for longer. One such example of this type of drug is methotrexate. This particular drug is a disease modifying anti rheumatic drug (or DMARD) and while it does slow down the progression of the disease at the same time as easing symptoms it is sometimes difficult to find a specific DMARD that works for the individual. Patients may be required to try three different types of DMARD before finding the right one. There are other drugs of this kind known as biologic agents which do the same thing but with a much higher success rate. Unfortunately with these they are expensive so they are often reserved for patients with a more severe and debilitating rheumatoid arthritic condition.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is not just single pronged, however. Along with DMARD drugs, corticosteroids to reduce inflammation or perhaps simple ibuprofen to offer anti inflammatory pain relief the patient will be advised to change their lifestyle to ease symptoms too. These changes will most likely include sessions of physiotherapy where a trained physiotherapist will teach the sufferer exercises to then carry out at home and ease pain. Rheumatoid arthritis is often worse after extended periods of rest and knowing what movements to carry out to get movement and pain relief can be very useful. They may also be advised to do general types of exercise such as walking, yoga or swimming to reduce the chances of rheumatoid arthritis occurring in other joints within the body. A good balance between avoiding certain activities that exacerbate the problem and regularly taking part in activities that reduce it is needed. In order to maintain this balance it's often recommended that patients are well informed about what rheumatoid arthritis actually is and why it causes pain, so that they can plan activities themselves.

Treating rheumatoid arthritis is as much about understanding the condition as it is treating it with prescription drugs that will slow its progression. If someone takes the medication but is ill informed and still carries on doing activities that are particularly destructive to the joints then they are doing themselves no good at all. If you feel you need more information about rheumatoid arthritis to aid in its treatment then visit your doctor or get in touch with the Arthritis Foundation in the US, who are essentially a fountain of knowledge and support for sufferers.

Stan Tian

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