Interesting article from The Arthritis Practitioner that deals with combination therapy for RA. There is quite a bit of info included in the article that talks about aggressive therapeutic approach to treating RA.
From the article:
In the previous few decades, medical management of RA was one of a pyramid or sequential approach. The disease was commonly managed by the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Clinicians often avoided the use of drugs now known as disease-modifying antirheumatic agents (DMARDs) until joint damage was evident.
However, as we have learned more about the pathophysiology of the disease and with the introduction of new, more effective medications, the pyramid approach is being replaced by a more aggressive therapeutic approach. The treatment of RA still utilizes NSAIDs and analgesics to relieve pain and stiffness. However, it has been recognized that these agents have limited effects on slowing the progression of destructive RA. In contrast, DMARDs improve symptoms and retard erosive damage. In cases of clearly defined RA, clinicians now initiate these agents as soon as possible and often use them in combination to provide maximum benefit.
http://www.arthritispractitioner.com/article/6351
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