Medication and Alternative Therapies

If you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you may be at increased risk for certain cancers because of RA medications—or RA-related inflammation itself. The best thing you can do is to be aware, but don't worry excessively.   View slideshow

When severe pain or joint damage limits your daily activities, a joint replacement may still be your best option. Here's what you can expect from joint replacement surgery.   View slideshow

It’s not clear if smoking marijuana is a relatively safe pain reliever for people with RA, or if it could increase the risk of RA-associated conditions.  Read More

A DMARD, or disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, is anything used to treat rheumatoid arthritis that can slow down or prevent joint damage. Here is a selection of DMARDs you may encounter during treatment.  Read More

If you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you also have double the risk for heart disease and heart attack. Certain RA drugs such as corticosteroids and NSAIDs can also up the risk of heart disease. But here are some things you can do to reduce your risk.   View slideshow

Though far less common than knee or hip replacements, this procedure can provide rapid relief to people whose hands are ailing  Read More

If dealing with rheumatoid arthritis is a full-time job, the treatment for RA is a task that requires painstaking attention to detail and a whole-hearted commitment to a long-term goal.  Read More

If you’ve got rheumatoid arthritis, the single best way to fight the disease is with medication. Still, as effective as RA drugs are, they can’t do everything.   View slideshow

• How Rheumatoid Arthritis is Treated

• The Growing List of Medications to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Side Effects

  Watch a video on the treatment revolution for rheumatoid arthritis

The purpose of physical therapy is to decrease pain and allow you to continue daily activities. Physical therapy can reduce pain in the soft tissues (such as the muscles, ligaments, and tendons), improve function, and build muscle strength. A physical therapist provides these treatments and will also provide education, instruction, and support for recovery.  Read More

Other types of treatment that may help you control some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioral modification techniques.  Read More

Surgical treatment in rheumatoid arthritis is used to relieve severe pain and improve function of severely deformed joints that do not respond to medication and physical therapy. Total joint replacement (arthroplasty) can be done for many different joints in the body. Its success varies depending on which joint is replaced.  Read More