Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a painful joint condition that affects 1.3 million Americans, most of whom (more than 70%) are women. There are many rheumatoid arthritis treatments available that can relieve RA sufferers from the debilitating pain of their condition. These treatments range from ancient, holistic practices to newly discovered, cutting edge remedies.

In order to achieve the most complete relief possible, RA patients often combine several types of treatment.

Medications Can Reduce Pain, Inflammation and Joint Damage
Historically, rheumatoid arthritis medications have consisted mostly of pain relievers (either NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or analgesics such as acetaminophen) and steroids such as prednisone which reduce inflammation and the resulting joint damage. These drugs have often been used in conjunction with a class of drugs known as disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (such as methotrexate and chloroquine) in order to slow the long-term progression of joint destruction due to rheumatoid arthritis.

Recently, a new class of drugs, biologic response modifiers, which act directly on the immune system, have started being used in conjunction with more traditional drugs. According to the Arthritis Foundation, this new, aggressive drug regimen has proven successful in severe rheumatoid arthritis cases.

Surgery Can Relieve Pain in Joints Severely Affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis
There are many surgical options for dealing with rheumatoid arthritis. They are excellent options to consider if your worst pain occurs primarily in one or two of your joints. Surgical options include:

Arthroscopic surgery. This minimally invasive surgery is used to remove, smooth or repair damaged joint tissue.

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