Comments on: Does rheumatoid arthritis always cause visible swelling in the fingers? http://arthritisquestions.org/arthritis/does-rheumatoid-arthritis-always-cause-visible-swelling-in-the-fingers Answers to all your questions about arthritis. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:23:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: inzanium http://arthritisquestions.org/arthritis/does-rheumatoid-arthritis-always-cause-visible-swelling-in-the-fingers/comment-page-1#comment-1324 inzanium Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:34:27 +0000 http://arthritisquestions.org/arthritis/does-rheumatoid-arthritis-always-cause-visible-swelling-in-the-fingers#comment-1324 Usually there's some visible swelling in the joints, but it can definitely be subtle. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the joint at the knuckles, and the the middle joint in the finger, but not the joint at the tip of the finger. The typical pattern of stiffness is in the morning, taking an hour+ and getting up and moving to get rid of it There are effective treatments at all ages. These include methotrexate, plaquenil, imuran, steroids, and injectable biologic medications. These can cause remission in some patients, and in those without complete recovery there is a definite increase in quality of life. It also slows the progression of the disease and reduces the need for future surgery. That being said, it is a bumpy course and has its ups and downs. Usually there’s some visible swelling in the joints, but it can definitely be subtle. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the joint at the knuckles, and the the middle joint in the finger, but not the joint at the tip of the finger. The typical pattern of stiffness is in the morning, taking an hour+ and getting up and moving to get rid of it

There are effective treatments at all ages. These include methotrexate, plaquenil, imuran, steroids, and injectable biologic medications. These can cause remission in some patients, and in those without complete recovery there is a definite increase in quality of life. It also slows the progression of the disease and reduces the need for future surgery. That being said, it is a bumpy course and has its ups and downs.

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