Rheumatoid arthritis (often shortened to "RA") is a disease in
which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. The
joints of the hands, wrists, ankles, knees, and feet are usually
the most seriously affected, but the severity and pattern of the
disease varies substantially from one person to another Figure
01. Common early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include pain,
swelling, and stiffness of the joints. Later, symptoms may
include joint deformity and loss of joint movement. The pain and
swelling may disappear at times as if the disease has been cured
(a period called remission), only to flare up again later.
Figure 01. Common pain sites of rheumatoid arthritis Without
early treatment, the damage that rheumatoid arthritis causes can
become worse over time. The disease has the potential to damage
the joint's tissues and the bones. In rheumatoid arthritis,
continuous inflammation in the spaces between the joint
gradually damage the fibrous connective tissue that holds the
skeleton together at the joi