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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in 2016 from Medical University of South Carolina, Expert Medical Consultant & EntrepreneurNov 2, 2018 5 min readRheumatoid arthritis (RA) has no cure, but doctors recommend that patients adhere to suggested treatments early in diagnosis to decrease the severity of symptoms. There are a variety of treatment methods used to control symptoms and stop joint damage, including medications, surgery, and daily routine and lifestyle changes. Communication with a doctor or rheumatologist is necessary for choosing the most effective treatments. Your physician will ensure that treatments are safe and the medications are prescribed correctly based on each unique situation.Treating RA will not cure the disease, but certain treatments can significantly reduce the pain and prevent permanent damage to the body. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, the goals of treatment will be to gain “tight control” of RA, meaning the disease’s activity is kept steadily at a low level. Keeping RA in “tight control” can prevent long-term joint damage.These goals primarily focus on:Reducing inflammationPreventing further or permanent damageImproving the quality of lifeReducing daily and long-term side effectsFollowing a strict treatment regimen could bring RA into remission. Remission means that the level of disease activity has decreased in the body. It is never an indication that symptoms will not return, but following remission, many patients can go for long periods of time without experiencing symptoms.There are many ways to treat rheumatoid arthritis, and a doctor or rheumatologist can help determine which methods are best for each patient’s individual needs.These drugs target a particular portion of the disease pathway and help mitigate or control the symptoms of RA. These medications are not a cure, but they may offer patients with RA an opportunity to improve their quality of life by reducing the frequency and intensity of flare-ups.Medications for RA TreatmentDoctors prescribe medications to reduce inflammation and to relieve joint pain caused by RA. The medications used to treat RA often come with serious side effects, so doctors typically start by prescribing lower doses. The treatment regimen is most beneficial to RA patients who are in the early stages of disease because during this time the symptoms are still relatively subtle.Those with advanced stages of RA need more aggressive treatment to reduce inflammation, the time between exacerbations and other effects associated with the condition. This may often require stronger medications to be prescribed. Unfortunately, these drugs often come with more dangerous side effects.Here are the different medications usually prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis patients:NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are medications meant to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. They are available over-the-counter, and when needed, stronger doses may be prescribed. Many people are already familiar with NSAIDs because they are used
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