Question
Rheumatoid arthritis and joint pain stops me walking
10 September 2014. Related: All topics, Complications and coinfections, Living with HIV long-term.
Hi, I have rheumatoid arthritis and my joint pain means i don’t walk properly, please help.
Answer
Hi
Rheumatoid arthritis is difficult to treat, but your doctor should be able to explain options. Usually this involves finding ways to manage the pain.
This weblink from the UK NHS has more information about options.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Rheumatoid-arthritis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
For example, the treatment options it lists include:
- medication – to relieve symptoms or slow progress of the condition
- surgery – to correct joint problems
- supportive treatments – such as physiotherapy
- complementary therapies – such as massage or acupuncture, which some people find helpful.
It would be good to talk to your doctor about each of these.
There has not been a lot of research about HIV and rheumatoid arthritis. This means that community organisations focused on rheumatoid arthritis may have more information then HIV organisations.
For example, the UK-based Arthritis Care.
Some specialists think that HIV could be related because it could increase the risk of inflammation.
This may be a reason to talk to your doctor about starting HIV meds if you are not yet on treatment. HIV treatment will reduce immune activation which is a cause of arthritis, but I have not seen many studies about this aspect of HIV treatment.
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