What are the treatments for arthritis?
Research has led to great improvements in modern treatment, which can now control symptoms for rheumatic diseases. There are also drugs that can correct some arthritic conditions.
You and your healthcare professionals will need to balance the risks and benefits of each treatment, based on your personal needs and circumstances.
Drug therapies are designed to help your arthritis. For inflammatory arthritis it’s important to start your therapy as soon as possible for more effective treatment. Drug therapy can be divided into two main groups:
1. Drugs that treat the symptoms of arthritis (e.g. pain and stiffness), including:
painkillers (analgesics) such as paracetamol can be used for all types of arthritis. It’s best to take them before an activity that is likely to aggravate the pain rather than after
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
steroids
2. Treatments that suppress inflammatory disease and may improve the outcome:
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) suppress inflammation. They are used to treat inflammatory types of arthritis and occasionally types of connective tissue disease. It can be several weeks before they work so they are often taken with anti-inflammatory drugs. It’s usual to have regular blood tests while you’re on DMARDs, and your blood pressure and urine may also be checked regularly. These drugs can be stopped for short periods without harm, for example, if you’re on a course of antibiotics. Types of DMARDs include sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine and gold.
Biologic drugs are a new class of drug. They’re used in treating rheumatoid arthritis and sometimes when DMARDs haven’t been effective. They’re unique in the way they work, as they were made specifically to block messages between the white blood cells that cause inflammation. Examples of biological drugs include infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab.
Drugs are often beneficial, but they need to be used carefully. All effective treatments can occasionally cause side-effects, but fortunately serious side-effects are rare. If you’re worried consult your doctor. Read more about drugs and arthritis.
Surgery
Surgery may be necessary and advisable if the damage to your joint is severe enough to cause difficulties in your everyday life, and when other treatment isn’t helping. Joint replacements are now very sophisticated and successful. Many different joints, including hip, knee, shoulder and elbow, are routinely replaced in people with advanced arthritis. There are also a number of other pain-relieving or reconstructive operations which can be helpful. Read more about surgery.
Physical therapies
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