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Is there a therapy to treat painful swollen joints?
I am suffering from painful joints along with some severe swelling in the joints. I am being treated with painkillers however, I want to know if there is any therapy to permanently treat my condition. Please advice.
6 Answers
Important to get accurate diagnosis
If this is rheumatoid arthritis, there are specific drugs that are disease specific
Painkillers are not effective for most arthritis conditions
Good Luck!
There are different kind of arthritis where you can have swelling of joints, so you should get evaluation from any Rheumatologist.
Hello!
You might have an auto-immune disorder affecting the joints. Pls see a rheumatologist for correct diagnosis and treatment pathway.
Thanks so much!!
Best regards,
Dr Brionez
There are several conditions or diseases that could lead to painful, swollen joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is only one of the possibilities. You should seek a diagnosis before looking for a treatment plan. Your primary care physician should be able to perform a physical exam and order lab tests in order to start this process. You will probably need to see a specialist, but your PCP should be able to guide you.
There are three general types of medication, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, disease modifying anti-inflammatory meds (methotrexate, arava, penicillamine, gold, imuran, plaquenil, etc.), and finally, the biologic agents, i.e., Humira, Enbrel, Remicade, ect. These meds are best prescribed after a complete evaluation by a rheumatologist.
Swollen joints can occur for a number of reasons including trauma (torn meniscus), osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis just to mention a few. Different therapies can help swollen joints depending on the cause. Rheumatologists are muscusloskeletal speacialists who can discover the cause of a swollen joint and can offer the appropriate therapy to resolve the problem.
For additional information about joint disease - go to thespinecommunity.com
David G. Borenstein, M.D. MACP., MACR.