Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the joints. It is often extremely painful and can cause lasting joint destruction and deformity. According to the Arthritis Foundation, more than two million people in the U.S. have RA, primarily women between the ages of 30 and 60. Worldwide, an estimated 50 million people worldwide suffer from the disease. There are a variety of treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. The best treatment options are diet and exercise, surgery, joint injections or aspirations, and medications.
Diet and Exercise
According to the Mayo Clinic, maintaining a healthy weight is important for anyone with rheumatoid arthritis. Your joints appreciate the right weight, and your cardiovascular system will work more smoothly as well. Watching portion sizes, eating salads or other healthy side dishes, and eliminating fried foods from your diet are smart nutrition choices that help ease the load on joints.
Exercise is essential to managing RA because it helps to reduce joint pain, builds strong muscles, and increases flexibility and endurance. Increasing muscle strength, in particular, provides more support for your bones and makes them less prone to breakage. You don't need to lift weights to increase muscle strength; isotonic and isometric exercises can work equally well.
Just 15 minutes of daily flexibility, muscle toning, or aerobic exercises can be effective for RA patients. There is no right or wrong exercise; each person must create a plan based on individual needs and pain evaluations.
Medications
Many RA patients find that using medications to combat the disease are helpful. While some are available over-the-counter, most RA drug treatments are only available through prescription.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are available both over-the-counter and by prescription. The primary purpose of NSAIDs is to reduce inflammation and subsequently reduce pain. Non-coated aspirin, coated or zero-release aspirins, ibuprofen, naproxen, and COX-2 inhibitors are all types of NSAIDs used in treating RA.
TNF-inhibitors are infused intravenously or injected under the skin to make the body's TNF-alpha protein stop fighting the invaders it thinks the body is producing. Injections can be done at home.
Corticosteroids such as cortisone and prednisone are commonly used. When taken in low doses over long periods of time, they can slow or prevent joint damage without major side effects. Coricosteroids can be injected or taken orally.
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) adjust the body's systems so that rheumatoid arthritis can't advance as quickly as it might normally. These drugs are often prescribed in the early stages of the disease in an effort to save joints and other tissues from permanent damage. Because it can take weeks or months for these drugs to work, DMARDs are often prescribed in conjunction with faster-acting pain-relief drugs.
Joint Injections and Aspirations
The American College of Rheumatology says that joint injections involve the use of an anti-inflammatory medication called a corticosteroid that can act immediately to reduce pain and swelling.
Another treatment is a joint aspiration, in which fluid is withdrawn from the joint. Physicians can make a diagnosis, check cell counts, or drain fluid to relieve pressure on the joint using joint aspiration. Once fluid is drained, movement can occur with less pain and stiffness.
The frequency of injections and aspirations will vary depending upon the patient. Both are usually administered under local anesthetic in a physician's office or a hospital.
Surgery
Technology and specific surgical techniques can truly enhance the quality of life for many with RA when other treatments don't work. Joint replacement surgery, for example, removes damaged parts of the joint and smooths out the ends of the bones, then inserts a new, artificial joint.
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