Reduction of inflammation Many arthritis drugs are used to decrease inflammation. Inflammation is a body process that results in pain, swelling, warmth, redness, and sometimes stiffness.
Corticosteroids are man-made drugs that closely resemble cortisone, a natural body hormone.
It is believed that these drugs can slow down the progress of the underlying disease. How this occurs is not clear. It is known that these drugs may require several weeks or months to work. They are also potentially dangerous and need careful monitoring by you and your doctor for side effects. It is believed that these drugs act by slowing down cell division, thus reducing the activities of the entire immune system.