Rheumatoid arthritis is a real reason for a person to worry, because of its progressive character. The cases of spontaneous remission, without using a treatment occur rarely. As there are many treatments available in the battle against arthritis, it is natural for different people to react differently.
The results depend on the following elements:
- In what stage was the disease diagnosed
- What is the patient's age
- The activity of the disease
Every case is unique and so are the patient's reactions to the different means of treatment. But there are some standard aspects common to most of them:
- The intermittence of symptoms. In about 20% of the cases the symptoms and the disease itself progress and regress
- Long remissions, which can take even years in 10-20% of the people with rheumatoid arthritis
- Progressive character of the disease, that demands for long term medication and coordinated efforts of the medical staff
There are some ways to determine whether RA has a progressive nature in your case, too:
- It lasts for a long period and it has a violent activity
- Rheumatic nodules that especially appear on the elbows
- An active inflammation occurs in your articulations and it is shown by tests
- The damage was already done when the x-rays gave your diagnosis
- The disease appeared from an early age, so it has a persistent character
It is important for you to be examined by an rheumatologist, by means of articulation exams, tests and x-ray to verify whether the disease made progress. In case a reexamination shows a progress, there are medical means to control it.
The pain caused by the different kinds of arthritis may be reduced or eliminated by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, also known TENS, which drives more electrical impulses to the painful area's nerves. Other pain relievers are drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen, which are anti-inflammatory non-steroids (NSAIDs). And so are COX-2 inhibitors. Although they are effective in dealing with arthritis, the last ones increase the risk of heart attack and strokes.
