Rheumatoid Arthritis

Question 1

What is RA?

Answer 1

Autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body.
It affects the joints Symmetrically

Question 2

How is RA diagnosed?

Answer 2

reviewing symptoms
physical examination
X-rays and lab tests.
It’s best to diagnose RA early—within 6 months of the onset of symptoms—so that people with the disease can begin treatment to slow or stop disease progression (for example, damage to joints).
blood tests, including checking your blood levels of antibodies called rheumatoid factor (RhF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP),

Question 3

What are the stages of RA?

Answer 3

• Stage 1: In early-stage rheumatoid arthritis, the tissue around your joint(s) is inflamed. You may have some pain and stiffness. If your provider ordered X-rays, they wouldn’t see destructive changes in your bones.
• Stage 2: The inflammation has begun to damage the cartilage in your joints. You might notice stiffness and a decreased range of motion.
• Stage 3: The inflammation is so severe that it damages your bones. You’ll have more pain, stiffness and even less range of motion than in stage 2, and you may start to see physical changes.
• Stage 4: In this stage, the inflammation stops but your joints keep getting worse. You’ll have severe pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of mobility.

Question 4

What is stage 1 of RA?

Answer 4

Stage 1: In early stage rheumatoid arthritis, the tissue around your joint(s) is inflamed. You may have some pain and stiffness. If your provider ordered X-rays, they wouldn’t see destructive changes in your bones.

Question 5

What is stage 2 of RA?

Answer 5

Stage 2: The inflammation has begun to damage the cartilage in your joints. You might notice stiffness and a decreased range of motion.

Question 6

What is stage 3 of RA?

Answer 6

Stage 3: The inflammation is so severe that it damages your bones. You’ll have more pain, stiffness and even less range of motion than in stage 2, and you may start to see physical changes.

Question 7

What is stage 4 of RA?

Answer 7

Stage 4: In this stage, the inflammation stops but your joints keep getting worse. You’ll have severe pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of mobility.

Question 8

What are the signs and symptoms of RA?

Answer 8

RA can affect one joint or have polyarticular involvement. Can affect joint symmetrically or asymmetrically. RA is polyarticular with the initial signs being fatigue and generalised weakness
- Pain or aching in more than one joint
- Stiffness in more than one joint
- Tenderness and swelling in more than one joint
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Fatigue or tiredness
- Weakness
- stiffness in your joints for longer than 30 minutes after you wake up
- symmetry with the same joints on both sides of the body being affected
- a flu-like feeling, when your entire body aches

Question 9

What is the aetiology of RA?

Answer 9

RA is the result of an immune response in which the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells. The specific causes of RA are unknown, but some factors can increase the risk of developing the disease. Doctors do not know the cause of rheumatoid arthritis. But you are more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis if someone in your close family has the disease. Smoking also increases your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Question 10

What are the risk factors of RA?

Answer 10

• Age
• Sex – higher in women
• Generics – HLA class ii genotypes
• Smoking
• History of live borths
• Early life exposures
• obesity

Question 11

What is the medical management for RA?

Answer 11

• Splints. Splints may be used to help protect the joints and strengthen weak joints.
• Physical therapy. Physical therapy may be used to help increase the strength and movement of the affected areas.
• Get physically active. Experts recommend that ideally adults be moderately physically active for 150 minutes per week, like walking, swimming, or biking 30 minutes a day for five days a week. You can break these 30 minutes into three separate ten-minute sessions during the day. Regular physical activity can also reduce the risk of developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Learn more about physical activity for arthritis.
• Self-management education classes
• Stop smoking
• Maintain a healthy weight
• No cure for RA, but treatment options to manage pain and stop further damage
• Massage, acupuncture or TENS can help reduce pain

Question 12

What medications treat RA?

Answer 12

Pain relief
Omega 3 supplements
NSAIDS
COX-2 inhibitors
DMARDS
corticosteroids

Question 13

What are the complications of RA?

Answer 13

Premature heart disease
Obesity
Employment difficulty
Infections
Chronic anemia
Gastrointestinal cancers
Osteoporosis
Heart disease
Damage to the lung tissue
General deconditioning

Question 14

What is the impact on the person and their OP with RA?

Answer 14

• Pain
• Fatigue
• Loss of fine/gross motor skills
• Decreased QOL
• Mental health issues
• Grooming/hygiene – trouble grasping things
• Housework, chores

Question 15

What is the OT role and equipment for RA?

Answer 15

• Adaptive equipment –pick up stick
• Splint
• Energy conservation techniques
• Shower chair
• Activity modifications – simplification techniques
• Compression sleeves
• Increase strength