Rheumatoid arthritis is a crippling disease that affects young and old alike. Although there is no cure for this autoimmune disorder, there are a variety of treatment options, ranging from medication, to natural remedies, to lifestyle changes. Read on to learn more about rheumatoid arthritis, including symptoms, treatment options, and more.

The most chronic and debilitating type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. Apart from the joints, rheumatoid arthritis is more likely to affect various other organs of the body as well. It is an autoimmune disorder, in which the immune system weakens the tissues around the joints through inflammatory processes. It can affect people of nearly every age (although most often the elderly), and several factors are responsible for it. The most commonly observed causes of this ailment are infection, tissue injury and emotional disturbance.

There are several types of medications used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In order to treat pain, various pain killers are prescribed. Anti-inflammatory drugs are also used for the treatment of swelling. In order to minimize the effects of the immune system, immunosuppressive drugs are prescribed by doctors. No matter how safe the drug is, it does have some side-effects. Also, when a medication is used for a longer time span, it eventually affects various other organs of the body especially kidneys, and heart.

The best available option for avoiding the side-effects of medicines is to go for natural remedies. There are several natural remedies, which help in regulating the immune system and reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis such as pain and swelling. Natural remedies have no side-effects, and in most cases prove to be the safer, as well as beneficial option. However in severe cases, it becomes necessary to go for higher dosage. However, long-term medication has its own side-effect.

There are a lot of dry fruits and other natural sources which are beneficial for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Walnut is one such dry fruit which gives the best results within a week, but the dilemma is that most people do not rely on natural remedies. The main concern shown by the majority is the lack of scientific evidence to prove the effectiveness of the natural remedies. If there is some research done on the efficacy of natural remedies, it's left inconclusive to give satisfactory evidence.

The majority of people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis prefer to rely on natural remedies, because according to them, the conventional treatment has worse side-effects as compared to the unconventional remedies. Although conventional and verified medications are helpful in reducing pain and swelling, it leaves them with discomfort, oftentimes more so than other treatment options. Also, some people have experienced improvement when treated naturally, so they prefer natural remedies over conventional medication.