Rheumatoid arthritis: your five-minute guide
18 April 2023
Rheumatoid Arthritis, or RA, is caused by your immune system starting to attack otherwise healthy joints, leading to inflammation of the joints, and resulting in pain and stiffness.
There's no known cure for RA. But by visiting your GP early on, you can get treatment to ease the pain and avoid long term joint damage and learn how to manage your condition on a day-to-day basis.
Here's everything you need to know.
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
RA is a long-term condition, for which there is currently no complete cure.
However, medication is available to help ease symptoms and slow the progress of the joint damage caused.
If your hands, feet, or wrist joints have started to become stiff, swollen, or painful, your symptoms may be caused by RA - particularly if your symptoms come and go.
Fact or fiction
Rheumatoid arthritis is induced by wear and tear on the joints Fiction: this is a different type of arthritis, which is called osteoarthritis and is more common than RA1.
What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?
The pain linked to RA is initially due to joint inflammation but can later be caused by joint damage if the condition is left untreated.
For many people, the symptoms of the condition come and go; when the pain gets worse, this is known as a "flare-up".
The most common symptoms are:
- Pain and swelling around the joints: usually in the hands, wrists and/or feet, but sometimes other joints such as the hips, back, knees or shoulders
- Redness can appear around the affected joint, and it may also feel warmer
- Stiffness lasting for at least 30 minutes after getting up or a period of inactivity
- Tiredness that is not explained by another reason
- Fever, sweating and muscle pain can also be early symptoms
- A poor appetite and/or weight loss
- Dry eyes or chest pain may also be side effects of the inflammation
Know your numbers
Rheumatoid Arthritis most commonly affects people between the ages of 40-60, and approximately 1% of the UK population is impacted2.
How is rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed?
If you experience any of the above symptoms, the first step is to see your GP, who will investigate through blood tests, X-rays, and scans as well as a physical examination and discussion of your symptoms.
There is currently no test that can 100% confirm that you have RA, so your doctor will most likely refer you to a specialist, called a rheumatologist, for diagnosis.
What can I do to avoid getting rheumatoid arthritis?
Despite much medical research, it is still not clear what causes RA. Although there is some suggestion that the onset of the condition could be caused by a stress 'trigger' or linked to your genes3, other potential risk factors such as your lifestyle and environment may well contribute.
Smoking has been linked to a raised chance of developing RA, while continuing to smoke after diagnosis can reduce the effectiveness of your medication4.
Maintaining a healthy weight is vital, as people with a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 25 are considered more likely to develop RA.
Staying active and healthy are thought to be the best ways to both avoid the condition and alleviate symptoms if you develop it.
What treatments are available?
Ways that RA can be treated include:
- Analgesics to ease the pain: paracetamol, co-codamol, or anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen will probably be prescribed, and steroids can be taken during flare-ups
- Medications to reduce the "attack" on your immune system: disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biologic drugs, and JAK inhibitors can be taken long term to slow the progress of the condition while relieving your symptoms
- Therapies: physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and occupational therapy can help you to keep moving and to learn to live and work with the condition
- Surgery: if the condition worsens, you may be advised to undergo a procedure such as an arthroscopy to repair joint damage
Are there any other ways to ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?
As RA is a chronic condition, daily tasks can become more of a challenge, so you will probably need to adapt the way you do things, particularly during a flare-up.
An occupational therapist can help you work out the best ways to do this.
Staying physically active and cooling or warming the affected areas can also help to ease RA symptoms.
Did you know
The English physician Sir Alfred Baring Garrod labelled the condition 'rheumatoid arthritis' in 1859, although French surgeon Augustin Landré-Beauvais is credited with the first description of RA, as part of his work on gout in 18005.
What type of exercise can I do with rheumatoid arthritis?
To defend yourself against flare-ups, it's vital to keep active, even if it's the last thing you want to do.
Regular exercise can improve your range of movement, reduce stiffness, help preserve bone density, and increase your strength and flexibility.
However, high-impact sports can become too stressful for your joints. That's why most people with RA choose lower impact activities such as:
- Cycling
- Swimming/aqua aerobics
- Pilates or yoga
- Golf
- Walking (avoiding too much downhill)
- Cross-country skiing
- Tai chi
Rheumatoid arthritis and mental health
An RA diagnosis can lead to anxiety, depression, or emotional distress, particularly for those still working and supporting a family.
Tips for combatting the negative impact on your mental health include:
- Walking as much as possible - it's great for your body as well as your mind and can also help you sleep better
- Talking about your feelings – either to friends and family or by contacting charities such as the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society or the Arthritis Foundation
- Trying psychotherapy – hypnosis and cognitive behavioural therapy have been known to help some people with RA