Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments: A Game Plan for Relieving Joint Pain

Other risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Age. Your risk of RA goes up as you get older. Its peak onset is between ages 50 and 60.
• Biological sex. Women are more likely to have RA than men.
• Lifestyle habits. Smoking, heart disease and obesity are known risk factors.
• Family history. Both childhood trauma and severe emotional stress have been linked to autoimmune diseases like RA in adults.

Firestein and Deane were two lead authors on a seven-year study published in 2025 in the journal Science Translational Medicine that looked at how rheumatoid arthritis develops. Their study found that the immune systems of those with RA was activated long before any symptoms appeared, which suggests there may be ways to prevent RA in the future.

Study participants had evidence of autoantibodies production, immune cells activation and increased levels of inflammatory proteins — all signs that joints were inflamed and being attacked by the immune system, Firestein says.

Can rheumatoid arthritis be prevented?

“One of the most prominent risk factors is the presence of an autoantibody called CCP, which is common in RA and can also help identify individuals at risk very early,” he says.

But a test to detect CCP is used mainly to diagnose RA when someone already has arthritis, Deane explains. “That’s because most studies show that only 20 to 30 percent of people with a positive anti-CCP test will develop RA. That is a fairly strong prediction … but it also means about 70 percent of people with a positive anti-CCP test will not develop RA, and until we develop better ways to predict RA, we likely won’t be doing widespread testing with anti-CCP for RA.”

Several clinical trials are looking at drugs that may prevent the onset of RA, Deane says, but nothing has been approved for clinical care, though studies show promising results.

Rheumatoid arthritis treatments

The aim of any RA treatment should be to do several things, including:

• Reduce joint pain and swelling
• Minimize joint damage
• Manage inflammation
• Enhance your physical function and quality of life
• Achieve remission when possible

Treatment options may include medications, non-drug therapies and even surgery.

Medications for rheumatoid arthritis treatment

Medications, both prescription and over the counter, are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. “The goals of medication are to reduce the impact of RA on one’s life, specifically to reduce joint swelling, joint pain, improve function and lower the blood’s inflammation markers,” says Dr. Nancy Shadick, a rheumatologist at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

Common rheumatoid medications include:

• NSAIDs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, naproxen and celecoxib, can help relieve pain and may reduce inflammation.
• Analgesics. Acetaminophen may be helpful if you can’t take NSAIDs, but it won’t relieve inflammation.
• DMARDs. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) like methotrexate, help reduce inflammation and helps slow RA from getting worse by suppressing the immune system. It’s often the first drug doctors prescribe when you’re diagnosed with RA.
• Biologics. Biologics are a class of DMARDs that block a specific part of the immune system that’s causing inflammation. Doctors usually prescribe them when you don’t respond to conventional DMARDs.
• Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. JAK inhibitors are also considered non-biologic DMARDs. They are the most recent class of drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis by blocking the cell pathway that leads to inflammation.
• Corticosteroids. Steroids work fast to reduce inflammation in RA. But doctors usually prescribe them only for short-term use because they provide temporary relief and may have serious side effects.

“While our current medications can be very effective, often there are areas that require medication adjustment or other measures such as physical therapy, diet and lifestyle modification for example,” Shadick says.

Non-medication treatments for pain relief

For help where medications leave off, people with arthritis often turn to alternative and nondrug therapies to help with pain management. “Consistently exercising is strongly recommended for individuals with RA,” Shadick says. “Resistance and aerobic activity tailored to an individual’s capacity, along with mind-body activities such as yoga and tai chi have been shown to improve function, fatigue, pain and quality of life, as well as reduce RA disease activity markers. “Starting physical therapy and occupational therapy early after diagnosis is helpful, too,” she says, as is a healthy diet like the Mediterranean diet.

Here are several ways experts recommend you can help relieve your symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Supportive therapies

Massage therapy. The best approach is moderate pressure. “When you move the skin, you’re increasing the activity of the vagus nerve, a large nerve that connects the brain with other parts of the body, including the heart and lungs,” says Tiffany Field, a professor in the departments of pediatrics, psychology and psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and director of the Touch Research Institute. “This slows down the production of cortisol, the body’s chief stress hormone. You’re also increasing the production of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that helps diminish pain.”

Field was author of a study published in the journal Complementary Therapy in Clinical Practice, that found people with rheumatoid arthritis got relief from pain and stiffness — as well as a stronger grip — after weekly moderate-pressure massages on their arms.

You also can try other complementary therapies like acupuncture, podiatry and chiropractic care.

Physical and occupational therapy: If your pain is daunting, work with a physical therapist. They can help you improve your strength and flexibility and help you work toward a goal, like exercising on your own, even if that means taking a walk around the block.

An occupational therapist also can help teach you techniques to make your daily activities, like showering and dressing, easier if they’ve become too painful.   

Biofeedback therapy: “Being aware of your body’s stress response, and learning to decrease it, is particularly important for inflammatory arthritis,” says Dr. Darcy Mandell, a pain psychologist at Kaiser Permanente in Maryland.​

That’s what biofeedback therapy can help you do: adjust how your body responds to pain. You work with a trained practitioner who helps you relearn how to reacts to stressful situations. They can teach you new techniques like deep breathing so you can navigate and better cope with your pain.

Home treatments for rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis supplements. The bright yellow Indian spice turmeric is a good one to try. Its active ingredient, curcumin, eases inflammation. A systemic review published in the Journal of Medicinal Food of eight clinical studies found that taking 500 mg of turmeric twice daily helped reduce pain and joint stiffness in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

“It’s not a medication you would take like Advil,” says Dr. Chrystina Jeter, a pain management physician with UCLA Health. “If you have an acute flare-up, it’s probably not going to be helpful. But when taken daily, as part of your normal regimen, curcumin can help sooth your overall pain.”

Arthritis diet. Eating a diet full of fatty fish like salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel, may help manage your RA. They're rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which prevent immune cells called leukocytes as well as cytokines, both of which are involved in the body’s inflammatory response.​

A study published in Arthritis Care & Research found that of the 176 participants with RA, those who ate more fish had reduced disease scores than those who rarely ate it. The benefit was likely because of the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish.

To get the full, inflammation-fighting benefits, eat two to three servings of oily fish a week. If you’re not a fan of seafood, try a fish oil supplement. “The data on the anti-inflammatory effect of omega 3 ingestion are quite good,” says Shadick, who notes research showing that it reduces inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and  tumor necrosis factor alpha or TNF-α and can reduce joint pain and stiffness, for example.

Exercise and aerobic activity. Keeping your muscles strong and flexible is crucial when you have rheumatoid arthritis. ​

Several studies have shown that exercise helps with pain, joint stiffness and even fatigue. The best are low impact, like riding a stationary bike, swimming or water aerobics.

The buoyancy of the water helps support your body weight, which means they don’t impact heavily on your joints. “Plus, many water aerobics classes are done in warm water, which feels wonderful,” Jeter says.