Rheumatoid Arthritis, or RA, it is related to an autoimmune disorder that sees chronic inflammation in the joints. While typically shown in the hands, it can also damage other areas. Gloucester County, Camden County, NJ, rheumatologist Dr. Mark Fisher MD can help those with their RA symptoms and other rheumatological disorders.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Medications
Medications for RA come in the form of steroids, NSAIDs, DMARDs, and biologic agents.
Steroids – Steroids reduce pain and inflammation and also help slow the damage to the joint. A popular choice is prednisone. Steroids are generally prescription drugs.
NSAIDs – Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories help pain and inflammation. They may be prescription or over-the-counter medications.
DMARDs – Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs slow the RA progression. These are all prescription drugs. There are target synthetic DMARDS like tofacitinib and baricitinib that are used if other DMARDs aren’t effective.
Biological Agents – Biologics are biologic response modifiers and are the newest form of DMARDs. Abatacept, etanercept, infliximab, and others are the most often prescribed biologics. They can be used in combination with other DMARD drugs.
RA Therapy
Lifestyle changes and physical therapy may be prescribed to help make movement and daily tasks easier on your joints. Some assistive devices may be incorporated.
Surgery for Rheumatoid Arthritis
If all the above do not slow down joint damage progression, there can be surgical options to help restore some movement ability. Surgical treatment may involve several different procedures, such as joint fusion, tendon repair, synovectomy, and total joint replacement. Some of these can be done during the same surgery.
If you’d like to know more about these treatment options or talk with our Gloucester County and Camden County, South NJ rheumatologist Dr. Fisher about other rheumatology disorders, call the office at (856) 547-8004.