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Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis continues to improve, which can give many people relief from symptoms, improving their quality of life. Doctors may use the following options to treat RA:

Your doctor may recommend a combination of treatments, which may change over time based on your symptoms and the severity of your disease. No matter which treatment plan your doctor recommends, the overall goals are to help:

Rheumatoid arthritis may start causing joint damage during the first year or two that a person has the disease.. Once joint damage occurs, it is generally cannot be reversed, so early diagnosis and treatment are very important.

Most people who have RA take medications. Studies show that early treatment with combinations of medications, instead of one medication alone, may be more effective in decreasing or preventing joint damage.

Many of the medications that doctors prescribe to treat RA help decrease inflammation and pain, and slow or stop joint damage. They may include:

Your doctor may recommend physical therapy and occupational therapy. Physical therapy can help you regain and maintain overall strength and target specific joints that bother you. Occupational therapy can help develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working. Sometimes, assistive devices or braces may be helpful to optimize movement, reduce pain, and help you maintain the ability to work.

Your doctor may recommend surgery if you have permanent damage or pain that limits your ability to perform day-to-day activities. Surgery is not for everyone. You and your doctor can discuss the options and choose what is right for you.

Your doctor will consider the following before recommending surgery:

Types of surgery may include joint repairs and joint replacements.

Regular medical care is important because your doctor can:

Monitoring typically includes regular visits to the doctor. It also may include blood and urine tests, and xrays or other imaging tests. Having rheumatoid arthritis increases your risk of developing osteoporosis, particularly if you take corticosteroids. Osteoporosis is a bone disease that causes the bones to weaken and easily break. Talk to your doctor about your risk for the disease and the potential benefits of calcium and vitamin D supplements or other osteoporosis treatments.

Since rheumatoid arthritis can affect other organs, your doctor may also monitor you for cardiovascular or respiratory health. Many of the medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis may increase the risk of infection. Doctors may monitor you for infections. Vaccines may be recommended to lower the risk and severity of infections.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Steps to Take

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This entry was posted on January 27, 2025 at 2:57 am and is filed under Arthritis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |