Unmasking Rheumatoid Disease
The survey results revealed a wide array of patient experiences, many of which fall outside of the typical model of RA that is presented in current medical literature. For example, although exercise is often touted as being beneficial for RA by improving mobility and lessening symptoms, two thirds of the participants reported that exercise caused an increase in RA-related pain.
The survey data also challenge the concept of “morning stiffness” that tends to go away after a patient gets out of bed and begins his or her day, as well as the perception that joint damage and swelling are directly related.
The patient responses recorded from this survey indicate that the majority of patients continue to live with pain and symptoms from RA, despite receiving disease treatment.
Reporting these results is critical to creating a greater understanding of the nature of rheumatoid disease and how it affects individual patients -- which, in turn, can help identify gaps in education and communication and ultimately improve care.
Thank you to all who took the time to complete our original survey. Your responses made it possible to publish this report and make your experiences known.