Will Rheumatoid Arthritis Nodules Go Away?
… Continued …
Experts believe that rheumatoid arthritis nodules don’t cause or trigger any problems in most cases. That’s why again, the treatment is not always immediately necessary.
Even on the other hand, the treatment may pose the risk of infection. The treatment may make the nodules go away, but there is also a chance for them to return.
In some cases, nodules in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) might occur due to a consequence of taking methotrexate (a kind of DMARDs, the common medication for RA).
About 8 percent of sufferers with RA who take methotrexate experience micro-nodules. Interestingly, other types of DMARDs can help shrink and reduce the size of the nodules.
It seems that the effect of taking methotrexate can vary – and experts don’t really know why!
In general, the use of treatment for rheumatoid nodules is only suggested when you actually need it. If they are small or don’t disturb you a lot, they may be ignored. For more advice, talk to your doctor!
But when the nodules grow up in the parts of the body that can be painful, the treatment may be necessary. For instance, if they occur on your feet (especially the bottom of your feet), they can make your walking painful!
Depending on where they occur, they can cause a significant limited range of motion. The skin over nodules may break down, too – and causing an open sore, infection, or repeated trauma.
And if the treatment is necessary, it may include:
- The use of some DMARDs, as noted before. For a large nodule, doctor may need to directly inject the medication into or under the nodule.
- With steroid injection.
- Or even surgical option to remove the nodule!
- http://www.nras.org.uk/rheumatoid-nodules
How are they made to shrink? I have heard that stretching exercises can reverse effects of arthritis. What do you say?
RA nodules occur for several reasons, though it is often associated with more severe RA. A number of treatments are available (if treatment is necessary since not all RA nodules require treatment), these include DMARDs, steroid, and surgery. How about stretching exercise? Appropriate exercise improves joint function. But it’s usually not enough to shrink the nodules.