What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating disease that affects millions of people around the world. In the United States alone, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) estimates that around 2.5 million people or roughly 1% of the population are affected by this disease. Here we answer some frequently asked questions about this disease.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and loss of function in the joints. The cause of this disease is still unidentified although genes, environment and hormones are suspected to play a role in the development, and progression of this disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is often associated with other inflammatory diseases like osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. However, while osteoarthritis only affects the joints, rheumatoid arthritis can affect other body parts including the eyes, mouth, and lungs.

What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?

Early symptoms of this disease include fatigue, occasional fever, and malaise. Pain and stiffness in the joints, on both sides of the body, often indicate that the disease has progressed dramatically. Usually, this pain in the joints attacks during the morning or after long periods of rest.  What should be understood is that the symptoms vary from person to person.

What are the treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis?

Since the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, the treatment of this disease is very much like that for osteoarthritis--it aims to reduce pain and inflammation in order to allow the patient to perform daily activities. Long term treatment also aims to slow down, if not completely stop, joint damage.  A typical arthritis treatment includes any one or a combination of the following:

• Medication. For instant joint relief, many patients use disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS), which slow down or stop the progression of the disease. Traditional DMARDs include azathioprine, ciclospororin, D-penicillamine, gold salts, leflunomide, methotrexate, sulfasalzine, and minocycline. Aside from DMARDs, doctors also prescribe biological agents (biologics), anti-inflammatory agents, and analgesics to patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

• Alternative treatments. Vitamin supplements and herbal products offer an alternative to drugs. Research has show that cannabis is an effective herbal treatment against rheumatoid arthritis. Other alternative treatments said to help cure arthritis are acupuncture, radon therapy, joint injections, physiotherapy, and podiatry.

• Surgery. There are several surgical procedures that are available for people with rheumatoid arthritis. The most common are joint replacement, tendon reconstruction, and synovectomy. Take note though that surgery is not for everybody. Certain conditions must be met for each surgical procedure to ensure that it will indeed improve the patient's condition.

• Lifestyle changes. Almost any treatment plan for a person with rheumatoid arthritis involves changes in one's lifestyle. This includes dieting, eating the right kind of food, and exercising. People with this disease are also advised to reduce their stress levels dramatically.

To find more detailed information about this disease, try visiting the web sites of NIAMS, the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, and the Arthritis Foundation.