Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) 

• What is it?
  • Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity.
• Symptoms
  • Signs and symptoms of RA typically includes the following:
    • Tender, warm, swollen joints
    • Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity
    • Fatigue, fever and weight loss
  • How is it diagnosed?
    • Diagnosing Rheumatoid arthritis at times can be difficult to diagnose as some of the signs and symptoms mimic those of many other diseases. There is no one blood test or physical exam finding that can be used to confirm the diagnosis. The combination of lab test including joint fluid analysis, x-rays, findings from a physical exam typically leads to the diagnosis of RA
  • How is it treated?
    • Treatment for RA may vary from patient to patient and is based on the severity of signs and symptoms being experienced. Some treatment that may be prescribed NSAIDS (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as naproxen sodium (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others); Steroids such as prednisone, or high doses of steroids such as methylprednisolone (A-Methapred, Medrol) for more severe cases; Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), such as methotrexate (Trexall, Otrexup, Rasuvo), leflunomide (Arava), hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) and sulfasalazine (Azulfidine); Biologic agents such as abatacept (Orencia), adalimumab (Humira), anakinra (Kineret), certolizumab (Cimzia), etanercept (Enbrel), golimumab (Simponi), infliximab (Remicade), rituximab (Rituxan), tocilizumab (Actemra) and tofacitinib (Xeljanz).
    • Other forms of treatment such as occupational therapy and surgery can be used as well