LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Treatments
built 612 days ago
Rheumatoid arthritis causes joint damage that can be both debilitating and disfiguring. Damage to your joints may make it difficult or impossible to go about your daily activities. You may find at first that tasks take more energy to accomplish. With time you may find you are no longer able to do them at all. Newer treatments may stop joint damage or prevent it so you can continue the activities you enjoy.
Source:
Rheumatoid arthritis is a manageable disorder is patients who are treated by rheumatologists and/or experienced internal medicine physicians. With proper education, exercise and medications many patients may expect to lead fairly normal lives. The goals of treatment are to maintain joint function and to prevent deformity. Medications are available for this purpose. However, they must be used by physicians who are knowledgeable about their use and employ the proper monitoring techniques.
Source:
Two years or more of oral steroid treatment decreases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) related lymphoma, according to data presented at EULAR 2007, the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, in Barcelona, Spain. Furthermore, these effects were found regardless of when in the course of the disease the steroids were first administered. However, these beneficial effects were not observed if the steroids were taken for less than a two year period. [click link for full article] ...more
Source:
Rheumatoid arthritis is three times more likely to affect women then men, and has been shown to favor North Americans and Europeans at a higher rate than other nationalities. Without treatment rhumatoid arthritis will rapidly degenerate and deform the joints, especially those of the wrists and hands, but ... the elbow, shoulder, neck, jaw, feet ankles, knees and hips.
Source:
CARLSBAD, Calif., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Immune Response Corporation (NASDAQ:IMNR) announced today that it has received United States Patent Number 6,090,387 covering methods and compositions relating to its immune-based technology for the prevention and/or treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The patent includes specific claims covering a combination of key protein sequences (peptides) from the Vbeta 3, Vbeta 14 and Vbeta 17 regions present on the surface of aberrant T cells associated with joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. By vaccinating with a combination of Vbeta 3, Vbeta 14 and Vbeta 17 peptides, the Company believes its product may inhibit the disease-associated T cells and may prevent further damage.
Source:
Because rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, treatment may consists of a number of other components besides medication. No two people with rheumatoid arthritis are alike, and treatment must be designed to individual needs. Your doctor is likely to advise a variety of treatments that take into account the severity of the disease, what joints are affected, your symptoms, other medical problems, your age, occupation and every day activities. A specialist rheumatologist may be consulted, and as with other forms of arthritis, the role of allied health professionals will be crucial. Treatment may include:
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Treatments