Anna Cucci

Danielle Norton

*Rheumatoid Arthritis

*What is Rheumatoid

Arthritis?*Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disease that leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. It can also affect other organs. It has an unknown cause.

*Anatomy of Rheumatoid

Arthritis*It occurs in all joints in the body. In the hands it mostly occurs in the PIP and DIP joints.

*Mechanism Rheumatoid

Arthritis *begins most often in a single joint

*spreads throughout other joints in the body.

*destroys the cartilage padding between bones and causes painful inflammation in joints along with limitations in mobility.

*Treatment of Rheumatoid

Arthritis*There is no treatment but you can slow it down with medications; however, the type of medications depends on the severity of the disease.

*DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs)-helps prevent the significant joint damage that may occur in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis

*Recovery

*There sometimes is a recovery but it is very rare.