"This splendid volume is easily understandable, uses real-life situations as examples and is far more up-to-the-minute than other such books. From sexuality to surgery, it offers practical and science-based advice."--Charles M. Plotz, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, Rheuma21st.com

Your complete guide to understanding and living well with rheumatoid arthritis

If you or someone close to you suffers from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), this book is a powerful tool you don’t want to be without. Two of the authors are physicians at the Hospital for Special Surgery, one of the nation’s oldest and best orthopedic research hospitals. Its purpose is to arm you with the information you need to take charge of your disease management and work with your doctors to develop a treatment program that’s right for your lifestyle and life goals.

In plain English, the authors demystify rheumatoid arthritis–its causes, progression, and various effects on the human body–and decode the often perplexing language that doctors use to describe RA and its diagnosis and treatment. They explain the various treatment and pain management options available to you and ways to discuss them with your doctor. The authors also include the true stories of RA patients whose tales offer encouragement and powerful insights for dealing with the difficult psychological and lifestyle issues RA sufferers face. Their expert advice and guidance covers a range of topics of vital concern to people affected by RA, including:

• Old, new, and emerging drug therapies, including gold, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants
• Analgesics and anti-inflammatories
• Alternative treatment strategies
• Nutrition, diet, and exercise for RA
• Vitamins and supplements, including glucosamine and Evening Primrose oil
• Managing crucial lifestyle issues such as sports, travel, and sex
• Pregnancy and RA
• Alleviating depression and pain
• Surgical options, including joint replacement therapy

This volume of the Handbook of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases series represents a medical collaboration focusing primarily on female aspects of rheumatic diseases. This collaboration recognizes the need to understand and optimally manage the care of women with autoimmune conditions that may affect their reproduction and hormonal status. This handbook will prove useful to clinicians and researchers alike. It covers practical points, ranging from which anti-rheumatic medications are safe in pregnancy to how to counsel women with scleroderma contemplating pregnancy.
* Authors share an academic interest in the unique relationship between being a woman and having an autoimmune disease
* Touches on controversial topics, such as the mechanism of antiphospholipid-related fetal loss and whether or not non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents should be used in pregnancy
* Includes critical and balanced reviews of the controversial association between autoimmune disease and female infertility