These medications slow down the joint destruction associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Symptom control and disease management may be enhanced when medications are started early in treatment. The disease-modifying medications may be started within the first 2 years of the onset of disease. Methotrexate is considered for more severe cases of arthritis. However, it is difficult to get enough of these acids to affect the disease, and some people cannot tolerate the high doses.
Exercise is important in the treatment of arthritis.
Thirty minutes of moderate exercise a day can help prevent complications of arthritis, as well as heart disease , stroke , and diabetes . A person exercising at a moderate level can talk normally without shortness of breath and is comfortable with the pace of the activity. The 30 minutes a day can be done in one session or broken up into several smaller segments. Low impact aerobics and water aerobics are examples of exercises that minimize joint stress. Surgery may be performed when pain cannot be controlled or when function is lost.