Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment in Philadelphia, PA

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease that typically affects people’s joints but can affect other areas as well. If the condition goes untreated, some people may experience issues connected to their skin, eyesight, heart, and blood vessels. RA affects the outer lining of your joints, which can cause your joints to swell up and cause damage to your bones or even deformities if left untreated.

The Arthritis Group specializes in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic conditions. Our rheumatology specialists will discuss your symptoms and discover what treatment options will work best for you. To visit one of our arthritis treatment centers in Philadelphia, PA, call (215) 725-7400 or request an appointment online.

What Are the Symptoms?

According to Cleveland Clinic Symptoms of RA are generally easy to identify and should be treated quickly if the pain persists or worsens. Here are some signs and symptoms of RA:

• Joints that feel tender, swollen, or warm to the touch.
• Joint stiffness that is at its worst in the mornings or after exercise.
• Fever, loss of appetite, fatigue.

Most people with early signs of RA experience pain or stiffness in their smaller joints such as the bones in their fingers and toes. As the disease goes untreated, however, it can spread to your wrists, neck, knees, ankles, elbows, and hip.

There are also some people (less than half of those with RA) who experience symptoms on non-joint related parts of the body, including:

• Skin
• Eyes
• Lungs
• Heart
• Kidneys
• Nerve Tissue
• Bone Marrow

What Are My Treatment Options?

Currently, there is no cure for RA, but science has come a long way to develop a group of medications known as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) which are designed to help with remission as long as it’s treated early.

Here are other medication treatment plans your doctor may recommend:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Steroids
• Biologic agents

Another treatment option is therapy. Your doctor may recommend that you see a physical therapist who can teach you exercises to keep your joints flexible. The therapist may suggest new ways to do your daily tasks using special tools designed for patients with arthritis. The therapist may also suggest new natural ways to do daily tasks, which will be easier on your joints. For example, you may want to pick up an object using your forearms.

The third treatment option is surgery. Surgery for the treatment of RA may involve one or multiple procedures, such as:

• Synovectomy- the doctor removes the inflamed lining in the joint.
• Tendon repair- the doctor repairs the inflamed tendons causing your joint pain.
• Joint Fusion- surgical fusing together of two joints to stabilize a joint.
• Total Joint replacement- the doctor removes the damaged parts of the joint and replaces it with a metal or plastic prosthesis.