Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a big deal. In fact, there is no present cure for this disease, but there are medications and rheumatoid arthritis treatments to relieve the symptoms you feel day-to-day. These rheumatoid arthritis treatments eliminate inflammation in the affected joints, which will both reduce your pain and prevent further joint damage.

One form of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is of course medication. And, there is an assortment of different drugs you can take, for instance, NSAIDs. NSAIDs are anti-inflammatory drugs that don’t contain steroids. Plus, a lot of these drugs are found over-the-counter, but if you need a stronger medication you’ll need a prescription. Next, are different steroid drugs. All of these drugs will reduce pain and inflammation, plus lowering your potential for joint damage. Another option is immunosuppressant’s, which work to strengthen your immune system, and the immune system is essentially what causes rheumatoid arthritis.

Another form of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is therapy. Meaning, your doctor will a recommend a therapist for you to help keep your joints flexible. Your therapist will also teach you different exercises, diets, how to do daily tasks differently, and work with you, so your life is as enjoyable as possible. Plus, your therapist will probably recommend assistive devices, which are tools that help you avoid the possibility of pain. These devices are gripping and grabbing tools you can use, and they’re most useful for people with hand and finger problems.

Medication and therapists are also great treatments, but sometimes surgery is the only reasonable option for you. This is due to the fact that treatments don’t always work for everyone, so surgery is a great alternative. These surgeries are used to repair damaged joints, restore the ability to use your joints, and reduce your pain level. Total joint replacement is one of the procedures. With total joint replacement your damaged joints are completely removed surgically. Next, prosthesis is inserted in those same damaged areas. Tendon repair is also another surgery, which is only necessary when your tendons begin to loosen or rupture.

Finally, sometimes the best medicine is a good amount of rest. In fact, fatigue is one of the reasons rheumatoid arthritis occurs. And, it’s really common sense that you should give inflamed joints a rest once in a while. Plus, there are plenty of studies that suggest being physically fit improves your sleep, which will in turn take care of your fatigue. So, you also need to exercise regularly on top of getting your rest. Now, if you have this awful disease, you might feel exercise is the worst thing for you and you would be wrong. In fact, a lot of the time inactivity will only makes things worse.

Rheumatoid arthritis treatments are your best option for living a pain-free life. There will probably be times where it takes a lot of energy to fight against this infliction. But, there are treatments out there, and it’s very possible to lead a normal life. All you have to do is find out which treatment option works best for you.