Rheumatic diseases are treatable !
Rheumatic diseases are mostly chronic and usually not curable although, nowadays most diseases are better controllable in comparison to 20 years ago. The research area has expanded in a rapid period during the latest years offering new treatment options to patients with less side effects.
In addition to new medications, studies have showed that physical activity plays a vital part in controlling rheumatic diseases. Physiotherapy, Sports and Gymnastics minimize Inflammation.
The earlier the better!
The earlier the diagnosis of a rheumatic disease is made the better are the chances of a successful treatment and a milder course of the disease. New treatment strategies can be targeted to specific inflammatory processes. They can slow down or cease the course of inflammation in general.
The early so as combined implementation of different treatment methods can lead to a normal way of living.
Treatment Options :
- Most rheumatic diseases are treated with analgesics, NSAIDs (Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), steroids (mostly for short use), traditional DMARDs (Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs) such as Methotrexate or Azathioprine and biological DMARds such as Rituximab (Anti-B-Cell Therapy) , Tumour necrosis factor α inhibitors Etanercept ,or Infliximab so as small-molecule Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors such as Tofacitinib.
- Physiotherapy is vital in the treatment of many rheumatological disorders.
- Occupational therapy can help patients finding alternative ways for common movements which would otherwise be restricted by their disease.
- Patients often need a long term, coordinated and a multidisciplinary team approach towards management of the disease. Treatment is often tailored according to the individual needs of each patient which is also dependent on the response and the tolerability of medications.
- Rheumasurgery- sometimes called rheumatoid surgery – is a subfield of orthopedics occupied with the surgical treatment of patients with rheumatic diseases. The purpose of the interventions is mostly to soothe pain and improve function. Examples include synovectomies and arthrodesis.
