Rheumatoid Arthritis
Arthritis means inflammation in a joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is a particular type of arthritis that occurs in joints on both sides of the body (such as hands, wrists or knees). It may occasionally affect the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood or nerves. It is a chronic disease that is caused when your immune system starts attacking your joints.
What Are the Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
This disease behaves differently in individuals. For some, it is a slow progression; others may experience a rapid onset. In general, they all feel:
- Joint pain
- Accumulation of fluid in the joint that causes swelling
- Joint stiffness, particularly in the morning or after resting
- Bumps of nodules under the skin
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
What Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis?
No one knows for sure. Experts hypothesize that is it a combination of genetic, environmental and hormonal factors. Some researchers believe that a virus or bacteria changes the immune system, causing the attack on the joints.
Who Is at Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis?
How Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Evaluated?
Keep a diary for your physician. Write down:
- The location, intensity and time of day of your pain
- The type of pain (sharp and stabbing or a dull throb, chronic or acute)
- Frequency and severity of stiffness. When you get up in the morning, how long does it take before you feel loose?
- Other symptoms such as swelling or increased skin temperature around the joint
- Activities that have become difficult
- Women: Tell your physician if you are pregnant or plan to get pregnant. You and your physician will need to devise a treatment to ensure your safety and the safety of your baby.
Your physician will look for:
- Joint swelling and tenderness
- Restricted motion in joints
- Whether the pain is symmetrical
- Bumps and nodules under the skin
- Joint misalignment
- Signs of rheumatoid arthritis in other organs, such as skin, lungs and eyes.
Your physician may order:
- X-rays
- MRI
- Joint ultrasound
- Bone densitometry
- Bloods test to check for the presence of anemia, or the rheumatoid-factor antibody, antinuclear antibody or citrulline antibody
Learn more about orthopedic evaluation. » Go
How Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated?
There is no cure but some patients can experience long remissions or symptoms that appear sporadically. Although everyone responds differently to the disease, early, aggressive care can lessen the impact.
Home treatments include:
- Non-Steroid anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) such as aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen
- Topical pain relievers
- Rest of the joint, alternated with conditioning, strengthening and stretching exercises to increase flexibility, build up supporting muscle and increase range of motion. Avoid high impact exercises or heavy lifting.
- Alternating hot and cold compresses. Cold compresses reduce joint swelling and inflammation; Moist heat compresses relax muscles and stimulate blood flow
- Massaging affected area to increase blood flow
- Reduce saturated fat intake and increase Omega III intake
- Lose extra weight
Alternative methods:
- Tai chi
- Acupuncture
- Biofeedback
- Mind/body stress management
Nutritional supplements (Make sure you tell your physician. Some supplements can interact with prescription medications.)
There are many assistive devices such as crutches, braces, splints, reachers, button hooks orthotics, and ones that are specifically adapted for kitchen, bedroom and bathroom use.
Your physician may also prescribe:
- Physical therapy or occupational therapy
- Corticosteroids, to reduce pain and swelling
- Prescription pain relievers
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) which suppress the immune system attack on the joints
- Biologic response modifiers, which modify the immune system by inhibiting certain proteins
- Protein-A immuoadsorption therapy, which filters your blood to remove antibodies and immune complexes that cause inflammation.
In severe cases that don't respond to conventional treatment, surgery may be recommended to repair or replace a joint, fuse bones or repair tendons. The different types of surgeries are:
- Synovectomy removes the diseased joint lining
- Arthroscopic surgery to take tissue samples, remove loose cartilage, repair tears, smooth a rough surface or remove diseased tissue
- Total joint replacement surgery (arthroplasty)
- Fusion (arthrodesis) fuses two bones together
For more information or to make an appointment please call
1-877-233-WELL (9355).