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Rheumatoid Arthritis: Status of Drug Therapies

C Moncur, PhD, PT, is Professor and Co-Director, Division of Physical Therapy, College of Health, Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering, College of Mines and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (USA).
HJ Williams, MD, is Professor and Chief, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, and Associate Chair, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Utah.

This article describes the current drug therapies used to manage rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A brief description of the pathology, pathogenesis, and clinical features of RA is presented. The purpose of the article is to increase an awareness among physical therapists regarding the medications their patients might be taking and how these agents might influence the outcome of physical therapy intervention. The general approach to prescribing medication is presented according to the status of the disease. The attributes of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, slow-acting antirheumatic drugs, and cytotoxic and experimental drugs used in RA are described. Given the potential benefits, side effects, and adverse reactions of these potentially powerful medications, it is important for the physical therapist to monitor closely what is happening to the patient with respect to the use or nonuse of the medication.

Key Words: Drug therapy • Physical therapy • Rheumatoid arthritis

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