The three main aspects to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are:
- drugs
- physical therapies
- surgery.
Drugs for rheumatoid arthritis
Four main groups of drugs are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis:
- painkillers (analgesics) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
- steroids.
Most people with rheumatoid arthritis need to take more than one drug. This is because different drugs work in different ways. A common combination is a painkiller, an NSAID and one or more DMARD. If you take two or more anti-rheumatic drugs they can be more effective than just taking one and there are no extra side-effects. Because DMARDs take some time to start working you may also be given a steroid, which can reduce the inflammation and ease your symptoms while the DMARDs are taking effect.
Your drug treatment may be altered from time to time depending on how active your arthritis is or in response to changes in your circumstances. For example, you may be advised to stop taking a particular drug if you need surgery.
Physical therapies for rheumatoid arthritis
Looking after your joints is very important in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Exercise is an important part of this, and a physiotherapist can suggest different exercises that may help ease your symptoms, strengthen muscles and stretch your joints safely. You may find that hydrotherapy(exercising in a warm-water pool) helps to ease your symptoms.
Read more about exercise and arthritis.
A podiatrist can help with problems with your feet and ankles. They can suggest appropriate footwear for both daily life and sport.
Read more about footwear.
If you’re having difficulty with day-to-day activities an occupational therapist can suggest ways that you could do them without putting too much strain on your joints. They can also give you information on splints if you need supports for your hands and wrists.
Read more about occupational therapy and arthritis and splints for arthritis of the wrists and hands.
Surgery for rheumatoid arthritis
Surgery is occasionally needed for rheumatoid arthritis. Operations vary from quite minor ones such as the release of a nerve or a tendon to major surgery such as joint replacement. Hip, knee, shoulder and elbow replacements are highly successful operations.
Painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for rheumatoid arthritis
Painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) alone aren’t sufficient to treat rheumatoid arthritis but can still be helpful when more specific treatments aren’t fully controlling your symptoms. Read more
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for rheumatoid arthritis
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including biological therapies, are important in controlling rheumatoid arthritis. However, it may be some weeks before you start to notice the benefit of these treatments. Read more
Steroids for rheumatoid arthritis
Steroid tablets and injections may be given to help ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. They’re usually used for short-term treatment while disease-modifying drugs start to work or to help deal with occasional flare-ups. Read more
