Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Unlike Osteoarthritis where mostly ageing leads to wear and tear of cartilage (a cushion between bones), in rheumatoid arthritis there is lot of swelling in and around joints. This is what is commonly called as "Gathiya". The most common reason of this arthritis is due to genetics in which patients' own immune system attacks many joints in the body. This causes a lot of swelling and pain in the joint.

Rheumatoid Arthritis | Dr. Vikas Tyagi

Most patients of RA are between 22 to 55 years of age, when they first get the symptoms, though it can happen at any age. Almost 3/4th patients are women.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis- Most commonly patients have these symptoms-

• Patients complain of severe stiffness in the morning especially of hands, feet, wrists, knees or elbows. It usually lasts for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Both sides of body are affected. Both hands and both feet, elbow and shoulder are usually painful.
• Initially patients feel fatigue, muscle pain and weakness in whole body. Though sometimes only one joint or 2 joints are affected, most of the times patients complain of pain in many joints in the body.
• Simple tasks like holding a glass or cup may be very painful. Slowly patients find it difficult to do daily activities.
• If no treatment is sought, then slowly deformity of joints can start leading to deformed fingers of hands and feet.

Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis- A few simple tests can diagnose most patients of RA

• Clinical examination and history- doctor asks about the symptoms and their duration. Also at Noida Pain Management Clinic, we examine a patient of rheumatoid arthritis very thoroughly.
• A few tests like RA Factor and Anti CCP can fairly easily diagnose rheumatoid arthritis.
• ESR, CRP, CBC etc are other tests that we sometimes advise to our patients of rheumatoid arthritis in Noida.
• Patients of RA also suffer from Anaemia especially females.
• X rays of a joint may be advised when joint erosions may be suspected. Also they may document progression of joints damage.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis at Noida Pain Management Clinic – Our treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis patients involves both medicines and lifestyle changes for best results. We use out treatment tailored to each patient as they have different expectations and disease burden.

When patients have lot of pain then aggressive treatment is a must to avoid permanent damage to joints. When patients' disease goes into remission, then medicines are decreased to a minimum.

Dr. Vikas Tyagi

Consultant Interventional Pain Specialist

★★★★★

* The information provided is for educational purposes and reflects clinical experience at Noida Pain Management Clinic.