The best weapon against the fire of Rheumatoid Arthritis is the disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD), not anti-inflammatories (NSAID) or Tylenol. NSAID do not alter the RA disease evolution; they just mask the potential clues of detection. And Tylenol can lead to disaster. Experts in RA recommend that treatment with DMARD for early RA begin within the first three months of symptoms. If symptoms have been present for more than 12 months, the DMARD attack has less chance of minimizing joint destruction. That is a very narrow window of opportunity to change the course of this devastating inflammatory firestorm.

Attacking a fire early gives firefighters the chance to get the upper hand right away. Missing a window of opportunity can mean the difference between 20 acres and 10,000 acres. Given the right conditions, every fire has a chance to ruin lives.

Debriefing

Fighting California wildfires and putting out the fire of Rheumatoid Arthritis have a lot of similarities. Both require an early detection system and an aggressive initial attack to minimize damage. In this day and age of managed care, many primary care providers are too slow to ask for a consultation and sometimes only treat a painful joint with NSAID without knowing the exact cause. This delay of proper treatment can lead a person unnecessarily down a lifetime of chronic pain and disability. Even though the availability of a rheumatologist may be limited, a trip to the specialist can be a good investment in time and money. If you think you have RA, sound the alarm and launch an attack on the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis before it is too late.