What are the treatments for rheumatoid arthritis?

There are dozens of medicines for rheumatoid arthritis. The right one for you will depend on:

• The severity of your symptoms
• The number of affected joints
• How your disease has changed over time
• The side effects experienced from prescribed medications
• What your X-rays look like
• Your blood test results

In general, the treatment options include the following medications:

• "Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs," also known as "NSAIDs"
• Steroids
• "Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs," also known as "DMARDs". These medications can be divided between biologic or non-biologic. 
• Biologic DMARDs: Products obtained from natural sources (either human, animal, or microorganism) and may be produced by biotechnology methods and other cutting-edge technologies.
• Non-biologic DMARDs: Chemically formed products made by combining specific chemical ingredients in an ordered process. 

Patients experiencing severe pain that does not improve with the medications listed above will sometimes be prescribed opioid pain medication. However, this is not usually necessary. Also, unlike the other medications used for rheumatoid arthritis, opioids do not help with inflammation or joint damage.

References: 

• https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/what-is-arthritis
• https://ard.bmj.com/content/79/6/685
• https://www.rheumatology.org/Practice-Quality/Clinical-Support/Clinical-Practice-Guidelines/Rheumatoid-Arthritis