Rheumatoid Arthritis: Early Treatment & Prognosis - Mayo Clinic Insights

According to the Mayo Clinic, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a condition in which the immune system attacks your body's own tissues. RA affects the lining of joints and causes pain, joint stiffness, fatigue and fever. Early treatment and prognosis of this disease can help alleviate symptoms and prevent bone erosion and joint deformity.

Significance

• When your doctor diagnoses and treats RA symptoms early in the small joints, like the wrist and fingers, this can help prevent the spread of RA throughout your body to larger joints. Once RA affects larger joints, the disease is more difficult to control.

Early Prognosis

• According to the article "Rheumatoid Arthritis May Be Prevented With Early Treatment" by the Arthritis Foundation at Arthritis.org, a 2006 Leiden University Medical Center study in the Netherlands revealed that patients who received early treatment for RA experienced remission, delay, and regression of the disease.

Early Treatment Medications

• Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen, steroids, immunosuppressants (Imuran, Azasan) and TNF-alpha inhibitors are common early treatment medications.

Occupational Therapy

• Seeking early treatment from an Occupational Therapist will help you avoid overuse of the affected joints. For example, there may be devices you can use to assist you with lifting ordinary kitchen objects.

Tip

• Engaging in gentle stretching exercises and the martial art, Tai Chi, can help reduce the pain and spread of rheumatoid arthritis.