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Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect many areas of the human body. Most common forms attack the joints, causing inflammation, pain and destruction of the cartilage surrounding the joint. Women are three to five times more likely than men to contract the disease. The peak age group is in the twenties and forties, but can be found in many children and young adults as well. Genetic susceptibility is clearly a major factor of susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis.

The clinical course of rheumatoid arthritis is extremely variable. The disease starts slowly with minor aches and pains in more than half of patients. Initially there is generalized feeling of discomfort and only after several weeks to months do the joints become affected. The types of joint involvement varies, but generally the small joints are affected before the larger ones. Symptoms often develop in the small bones of the hands and feet followed by the wrists, ankles, elbows, and knees. The involved joints become swollen, warm, painful, and particularly stiff following periods inactivity such as sitting or standing for long periods or getting up from sleep. In a typical patient, progressive joint affliction occurs over a period of months to years with initial minimal limitation of motion and pain that in time becomes more severe. The course of the disease may be slow or rapid and fluctuate over a period of years, with the greatest damage occurring during the first four to five years. About one fifth of people affected enjoy periods of partial or complete remission but the symptoms inevitably return and may involve previously unaffected joints.

There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Primary goals are to reduce joint inflammation and pain, maximize joint function, and prevent joint destruction and deformity. Early medical treatments have been shown to be important in improving outcomes. Proper medical treatment can improve joint functions, stop damage to joints and prevent work disability. Treatments for rheumatoid arthritis involve a combination of proper medications, rest, and joint strengthening exercises.

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