The diagnosis will be based on the overall pattern of the symptoms, physical examination, laboratory tests and x-rays. The doctor may drain fluid from your joints and examine it to make sure the arthritis is not due to to an infection or some other cause. The fluid is recovered by putting a needle into the joint. Rarely, your doctor may remove small bits of imflamed joint tissue or nodules for examination with a microscope. This procedure is called a biopsy.
Treatment involves a combination of medication, rest, exercise and methods of protecting the joints.
This consists of anti-inflammatory drugs which reduce the swelling, pain and stiffness which result in from the inflammatory response. A patient's response to a particular drug and the degree of disease activity dictate the potency of the drugs prescribed. The main aim of treatment is the control of the inflammatory process early so as to lessen the disability that can result from long-term effects of joint destruction. Corticosteroids are drugs related to the natural hoemone cortisone. They are not often used to treat rehumatoid arthritis unless the disease is severe and has not responded to other drugs.