Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis treatment is essentially targeted at symptom relief, the reason being there is no definite solution for this disease. The medications stop pain and inflammation in the joints and decelerates further proliferation of the disorder. Physical and occupational therapy teaches you to take care of the joints. And surgical procedure is performed when the joints are destroyed critically because of the disease.

Medicaments for this disorder sometimes carry crucial side effects. Therefore, healthcare providers select medicines which have least side effects at the beginning state, but as the ailment continues, more powerful medicines may be started by the healthcare provider.

Primary medication chosen by doctors in RA is mostly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. RA being an autoimmune sickness, it arises due to the mistake of WBCs in sensing} body’s own healthy tissues as foreign bodies and secreting chemicals to devastate them, which give rise to pain and inflammation. NSAIDs stop these chemicals and thus hold back pain and inflammation. Ibuprofen and naproxen sodium are over-the-counter NSAIDs. Stronger NSAIDs can be bought if the doctor prescribes them.

Steroids also are among the medications for RA and they are prednisone and methylprednisolone, which too lessen pain and inflammation and decelerate the furtherance of the disorder.

Other form of RA medicaments is disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or DMARDs. They slow down the proliferation of the ailment and safeguard the joints and other cells from getting destroyed extensively. Usually doctors prefer DMARDs like minocycline, sulfasalazine, methotrexate, leflunomide and hydroxychloroquine.

As the ailment occurs as a result of disorganized immune system, immunosuppressants too are prescribed to patients of RA. Examples are azathioprine, cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine.

Another remarkable group of medicines among the rheumatoid arthritis treatment is TNF-α inhibitors. Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) is an inflammatory compound released in the body. TNF-α inhibitors stop swelling, stiffness, inflammation, tenderness and pain of joints. They are adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab.

Several other medicaments such as anakinra, rituximab and abatacept too are used to manage this disorder.

Other type of therapy of RA is occupational therapy, through which you practise to do everyday tasks without giving stress to your painful joints. It essentially involves being acquainted with the help of other body parts to accomplish the job if a particular organ cannot do it due to inflammation. Innumerable assistive appliances also can be brought into use in this treatment, for example, a cane while moving around, doorknob extenders, tabs for zippers, wheeled carts and trash cans, Velcro fasteners, and so on.

Sometimes, as a result of mistake in finding out or some other reason, the illness progresses to the level of destroying the joints. In such circumstance, surgical procedure can be useful to restore the damaged joint. It consists of procedures such as joint fusion i.e. arthrodesis, tendon repair, removal of joint lining i.e. synovectomy and total joint replacement, i.e. arthroplasty

Plus there are hoards of natural treatments, which are surely extremely of use for RA, though there is no therapeutic hypothesis for their activity. They are supplements like thunder god vine, fish oil and borage seed oil, mind/body therapies e.g. visualization, meditation, deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, magnets and Chinese treatments like acupuncture and Tai Chi.

Thus there is plenty of scope for improvement with extensive rheumatoid arthritis treatment.