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QUESTIONS ABOUT PROGNOSIS OF RA (RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS)

Can Arthritis Be Cured?

RA is generally a chronic condition in which true cures or permanent remissions are unusual with the medications presently available. This does not mean that most cases of arthritis cannot be controlled effectively, however. The majority of people with RA achieve good to excellent control with a treatment program consisting of medications, therapeutic exercise, adequate rest, and proper joint protection. And most people with RA are able to continue with their normal activities, with some minor adjustments to accommodate joint changes that have occurred.

Will Other Joints Become Involved with Time?

Possibly. Most people initially develop pain in their hands and wrists, and ‘ likely that they will experience at the least some discomfort in other joints. But not all joints are affected equally by RA in all people. For instance, the person who is having significant pain and difficulties with finger joints will not necessarily experience the same degree of inflammation or pain in any other joints.

Will I Become Disabled?

Today, treatment of RA begins earlier in the course of the condition, and treatment options are more varied and more effective. The currently available medications can be very effective, and many more are under intensive investigation. Today, too, there is an appreciation of the value of therapeutic exercise, and new methods have been developed to protect joints in order to avoid disability. Even in the least successful cases, in which arthritis persists despite the medical team’s efforts, other options remain. Also, the many surgical procedures available today are infinitely more effective than those offered a few decades ago.

Will you become disabled? Today, the odds against this are overwhelmingly in your favor, which is why it is best to avoid listening to a well-meaning friend’s stories about her great-aunt who lives a wheelchair-bound life because of RA. Remember, each person’s case is different, and so much has changed in the approach to treating RA that comparisons are just not valid.

Will you need to make some life-style changes? Yes, but that in no way means that you need to relinquish any of your life goals. If you have a good understanding of how to control the particular problems associated with your arthritis and if you remain open to learning new ways to make adjustments, you will succeed in living a normal, productive life. Will you be inconvenienced? Yes, definitely. Will you be disabled? Highly unlikely.

Does RA Shorten a Person’s Life?

KA, like most chronic illnesses, is associated with a very slight decrease in life span when all patients who have RA are compared with people who are free of illness. This may not have any individual significance for you because these statistics are derived from comparisons of large groups of people. Therefore, if you are otherwise healthy, you have an excellent chance of living a full and long life.

A very small minority of people with severe RA (less than 5 percent) develop complications that make them very ill. These individuals have life-threatening conditions.

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QUESTIONS ABOUT PROGNOSIS OF RA (RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS) Can Arthritis Be Cured?RA is generally a chronic condition in which true cures or permanent remissions are unusual with the medications presently available. This does not mean that most cases of arthritis cannot be controlled effectively, however. The majority of people with RA achieve good to excellent control with a treatment program consisting of medications, therapeutic exercise, adequate rest, and proper joint protection. And most people with RA are able to continue with their normal activities, with some minor adjustments to accommodate joint changes that have occurred.
Will Other Joints Become Involved with Time?Possibly. Most people initially develop pain in their hands and wrists, and ‘ likely that they will experience at the least some discomfort in other joints. But not all joints are affected equally by RA in all people. For instance, the person who is having significant pain and difficulties with finger joints will not necessarily experience the same degree of inflammation or pain in any other joints.
Will I Become Disabled?Today, treatment of RA begins earlier in the course of the condition, and treatment options are more varied and more effective. The currently available medications can be very effective, and many more are under intensive investigation. Today, too, there is an appreciation of the value of therapeutic exercise, and new methods have been developed to protect joints in order to avoid disability. Even in the least successful cases, in which arthritis persists despite the medical team’s efforts, other options remain. Also, the many surgical procedures available today are infinitely more effective than those offered a few decades ago.Will you become disabled? Today, the odds against this are overwhelmingly in your favor, which is why it is best to avoid listening to a well-meaning friend’s stories about her great-aunt who lives a wheelchair-bound life because of RA. Remember, each person’s case is different, and so much has changed in the approach to treating RA that comparisons are just not valid. Will you need to make some life-style changes? Yes, but that in no way means that you need to relinquish any of your life goals. If you have a good understanding of how to control the particular problems associated with your arthritis and if you remain open to learning new ways to make adjustments, you will succeed in living a normal, productive life. Will you be inconvenienced? Yes, definitely. Will you be disabled? Highly unlikely.
Does RA Shorten a Person’s Life?KA, like most chronic illnesses, is associated with a very slight decrease in life span when all patients who have RA are compared with people who are free of illness. This may not have any individual significance for you because these statistics are derived from comparisons of large groups of people. Therefore, if you are otherwise healthy, you have an excellent chance of living a full and long life.A very small minority of people with severe RA (less than 5 percent) develop complications that make them very ill. These individuals have life-threatening conditions.*14/209/5*

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