The treatment of juvenile arthritis includes medications, physical therapy, splints and in severe cases surgery. These treatments are focused on reducing swelling, relieving pain and maintaining full movement of joints. Children are encouraged to be involved in extra-curricular activities, physical activity when possible, and to live a "normal" life.

The most recent class of treatment is called biological response modifiers or biologics has been developed using recombinant DNA technology. Biologic medications are derived from living cells cultured in a laboratory. Unlike traditional DMARDS that affect the entire immune system, biologics target specific parts of the immune system. They are given by injection or intravenous (IV) infusion.

Biologics prescribed for psoriatic arthritis are TNF-α inhibitors, including infliximab, etanercept, golimumab, certolizumab pegol and adalimumab, as well as the IL-12/IL-23 inhibitor ustekinumab.

Biologics may increase the risk of minor and serious infections. More rarely, they may be associated with nervous system disorders, blood disorders or certain types of cancer.

A first-in-class treatment option for the management of psoriatic arthritis, apremilast is a small molecule phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor approved for use by the FDA in 2014. By inhibiting PDE4, an enzyme which breaks down cyclic adenosine monophosphate, cAMP levels rise, resulting in the down-regulation of various pro-inflammatory factors including TNF-α, interleukin 17 and interleukin 23, as well as the up-regulation of anti-inflammatory factor interleukin 10.

It is given in tablet form and taken by mouth. Side effects include headaches, back pain, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, nasopharyngitis and upper respiratory tract infections, as well as depression and weight loss.

Patented in 2014 and manufactured by Celgene, there is no current generic equivalent available on the market.

JIA is best treated by a multidisciplinary team. The major emphasis of treatment for JIA is to help the child regain normal level of physical and social activities. This is accomplished with the use of physical therapy, pain management strategies, and social support. Another emphasis of treatment is to control inflammation and extra-articular symptoms quickly. Doing so should help to reduce joint damage and other symptoms, which will help reduce levels of permanent damage leading to disability.

Beneficial advances in drug treatment have been made over the last 20 years. Most children are treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and intra-articular corticosteroid injections. Methotrexate, a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) is a powerful drug which helps suppress joint inflammation in the majority of JIA patients with polyarthritis (though less useful in systemic arthritis). Newer drugs have been developed recently, such as TNF alpha blockers, such as etanercept. No controlled evidence supports the use of alternative remedies such as specific dietary exclusions, homeopathic treatment, or acupuncture. However, an increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids proved to be beneficial in two small studies.

Celecoxib has been found effective in one study.

Other aspects of managing JIA include physical and occupational therapy. Therapists can recommend the best exercise and also make protective equipment. Moreover, the child may require the use of special supports, ambulatory devices, or splints to help them ambulate and function normally.

Surgery is only used to treat the most severe cases of JIA. In all cases, surgery is used to remove scars and improve joint function.

Home remedies that may help JIA includes getting regular exercises to increase muscle strength and joint flexibility. Swimming is perhaps the best activity for all children with JIA. Stiffness and swelling can also be reduced with application of cold packs, but a warm bath or shower can also improve joint mobility.

In the future, genetic testing may be available allowing earlier detection of JIA. Early detection will help determine the severity of the disease in each child and help identify which therapies will be the most effective and beneficial treatment options.

There is no known cure for either rheumatoid or osteoarthritis. Treatment options vary depending on the type of arthritis and include physical therapy, lifestyle changes (including exercise and weight control), orthopedic bracing, and medications. Joint replacement surgery may be required in eroding forms of arthritis. Medications can help reduce inflammation in the joint which decreases pain. Moreover, by decreasing inflammation, the joint damage may be slowed.

There are several types of medications that are used for the treatment of arthritis. Treatment typically begins with medications that have the fewest side effects with further medications being added if insufficiently effective.

Depending on the type of arthritis, the medications that are given may be different. For example, the first-line treatment for osteoarthritis is acetaminophen (paracetamol) while for inflammatory arthritis it involves non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen. Opioids and NSAIDs are less well tolerated.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is autoimmune so, in addition to pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs, is treated with another category of drug called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which act on the immune system to slow down the progression of RA. An example of this type of drug is methotrexate.

The major types of medications used to treat ankylosing spondylitis are pain-relievers and drugs aimed at stopping or slowing the progression of the disease. All of these have potentially serious side effects. Pain-relieving drugs come in two major classes:

- The mainstay of therapy in all seronegative spondyloarthropathies are anti-inflammatory drugs, which include NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, phenylbutazone, diclofenac, indomethacin, naproxen and COX-2 inhibitors, which reduce inflammation and pain. Indomethacin is a drug of choice. 2012 research showed that those with AS and elevated levels of acute phase reactants seem to benefit most from continuous treatment with NSAIDs.

- Opioid painkillers

Medications used to treat the progression of the disease include the following:

- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as sulfasalazine can be used in people with peripheral arthritis. For axial involvement, evidence does not support sulfasalazine. Other DMARDS, such as methotrexate, did not have enough evidence to prove their effect. Generally, systemic corticosteroids were not used due to lack of evidence. Local injection with corticosteroid can be used for certain people with peripheral arthritis.

- Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) blockers (antagonists), such as the biologics etanercept, infliximab, golimumab and adalimumab, have shown good short-term effectiveness in the form of profound and sustained reduction in all clinical and laboratory measures of disease activity. Trials are ongoing to determine their long-term effectiveness and safety. The major drawback is the cost. An alternative may be the newer, orally-administered non-biologic apremilast, which inhibits TNF-α secretion, but a recent study did not find the drug useful for ankylosing spondylitis.

- Anti-interleukin-6 inhibitors such as tocilizumab, currently approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and rituximab, a monoclonal antibody against CD20, are also undergoing trials.

- Interleukin-17A inhibitor secukinumab is an option for the treatment of active ankylosing spondylitis that has responded inadequately to (TNFα) blockers.

Arthritis mutilans' parent condition psoriatic arthritis leaves people with a mortality risk 60% higher than the general population, with premature death causes mirroring those of the general population, cardiovascular issues being most common. Life expectancy for people with psoriatic arthritis is estimated to be reduced by approximately 3 years.

There is no cure for AS, although treatments and medications can reduce symptoms and pain.

The cause of JIA remains a mystery. However, the disorder is autoimmune — meaning that the body's own immune system starts to attack and destroy cells and tissues (particularly in the joints) for no apparent reason. The immune system is thought to be provoked by changes in the environment, in combination with mutations in many associated genes and/or other causes of differential expression of genes. Experimental studies have shown that certain mutated viruses may be able to trigger JIA. The disease appears to be more common in girls, and the disease is most common in Caucasians.

Associated factors that may worsen or have been linked to rheumatoid arthritis include:

- Genetic predisposition; When one family member has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or another autoimmune disorder, the chances are higher that other family members or siblings may also develop arthritis.

- Females are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than males at all ages.

- A strong belief is held that psychological stress may worsen the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. However, when the emotional stress is under control, the arthritis symptoms do not always disappear, suggesting that the association is not straightforward.

- Though no distinct immune factor has been isolated as a cause of arthritis, some experts believe that the triggering factor may be something like a virus which then disappears from the body after permanent damage is done.

- Because rheumatoid arthritis is more common in women, perhaps sex hormones may play a role in causing or modulating arthritis. Unfortunately, neither sex hormone deficiency nor replacement has been shown to improve or worsen arthritis.

The cause of JIA, as the word "idiopathic" suggests, is unknown and an area of active research. Current understanding of JIA suggests that it arises in a genetically susceptible individual due to environmental factors.

In the US it affects about 250,000-294,000 children and teens making it one of the most common childhood diseases .

The main goal of treatment is to identify and eradicate the underlying infectious source with the appropriate antibiotics if still present. Otherwise, treatment is symptomatic for each problem. Nonspecific urethritis may be treated with a short course of tetracycline. Analgesics, particularly NSAIDs, are used. Steroids, sulfasalazine and immunosuppressants may be needed for patients with severe reactive symptoms that do not respond to any other treatment. Local corticosteroids are useful in the case of iritis.

Inflammatory arthritis can be disabling to the point where people with the diseases can lose their jobs, which can cause psychological distress. Because it is typically progressive, those who lose their jobs are unlikely to re-enter the workforce after leaving due to their diagnosis. Programs now aim to retain those with inflammatory arthritis by preventing work-related injuries and by making necessary accommodations in the workplace. A 2014 Cochrane review found low-quality evidence that work focused interventions, including counseling, education, advocacy, and occupational medicine consultations, were effective in retaining workers with inflammatory arthritis.

Because any medication that could reduce the inflammation of CPPD bears a risk of causing organ damage, treatment is not advised if the condition is not causing pain.

For acute pseudogout, treatments include intra-articular corticosteroid injection, systemic corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or, on occasion, high-dose colchicine. In general, NSAIDs are administered in low doses to help prevent CPPD. However, if an acute attack is already occurring, higher doses are administered. If nothing else works, hydroxychloroquine or methotrexate may provide relief.

Research into surgical removal of calcifications is underway, however this still remains an experimental procedure.

Although a 2011 research article stated that disagreements between hand surgeons and rheumatologists remain regarding the indications, timing and effectiveness of rheumatoid hand surgery, arthritis mutilans may be successfully treated by iliac-bone graft and arthrodesis of the interphalangeal joints and the metacarpophalangeal joint in each finger.

There are no prospective randomized controlled trials studying therapies for relapsing polychondritis. Evidence for efficacy of treatments is based on case reports and series of small groups of patients.

For mild cases limited to joint pain or arthritis, oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be used. Other treatments typically involve medications to suppress the immune system. Corticosteroids are frequently used for more serious disease. Steroid-sparing medications such as azathioprine or methotrexate may be used to minimize steroid doses and limit the side effects of steroids. For severe disease cyclophosphamide is often given in addition to high dose intravenous steroids.

In most cases sacroiliitis can be treated without surgery. Often patients will find relief through a combination of rest, heat / ice therapy and anti-inflammatory medication, like ibuprofen. Together these simple treatments help reduce inflammation and allow the body to deliver healing nutrients to the affected SI joints.

For more severe forms of sacroiliitis, sacroiliac joint injections might be recommended to help combat symptoms. If chosen, a physician will inject a numbing agent, usually lidocaine, and a steroid containing powerful anti-inflammatory medication into the joint using fluoroscopic guidance. These steroid injections can be delivered up to three or four times a year and should be accompanied with physical therapy to help rehabilitate the affected joint.

Many individuals have mild symptoms, which recur infrequently, while others may have persistent problems that become debilitating or life-threatening.

Treatment with either glucocorticoids, methotrexate, anakinra, or tocilizumab has been examined. Anakinra has been shown to resolve the clinical features of the disease in 87% of patients. It also induces remission in half of corticosteroid-resistant patients. The results of another study were similar, with half of the patients responding to treatment with Anakinra. Canakinumab, an antibody to

interleukin-1 beta, is indicated for treatment in patients who respond poorly to other treatments.

Surgery is often the last resort when dealing with sacroiliitis and is rarely required. However, it may be a viable option for patients who are suffering from severe pain that is unresponsive to nonsurgical treatments and is significantly impacting their quality of life. In these cases, a minimally invasive procedure known as Sacroiliac Joint Fusion can effectively stabilize the joint and increase its load-bearing capacity by fusing it together.

The worldwide prevalence of inflammatory arthritis is approximately 3%. Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis are the most common subtypes of inflammatory arthritis. The diseases occur most commonly in the 30-40 age group.

A vast number of traditional herbal remedies were recommended for "rheumatism". Modern medicine, both conventional and alternative, recognises that the different rheumatic disorders have different causes (and several of them have multiple causes) and require different kinds of treatment.

Nevertheless, initial therapy of the major rheumatological diseases is with analgesics, such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), members of which are ibuprofen and naproxen. Often, stronger analgesics are required.

The ancient Greeks recorded that bee venom had some beneficial effects on some types of rheumatism. Bee and ant stings were known as a folk remedy in the late 19th century, and at least one physician developed a treatment consisting of repeated formic acid injections. Certain Amazonian tribes, including the Zo'é, use fire ant stings as a remedy for aches and pains.

Cod liver oil has also been used as a remedy.

Neem Tree Oil according to East Indian cultures has also been used as a remedy.

Synovitis symptoms can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs. An injection of steroids may be done, directly into the affected joint. Specific treatment depends on the underlying cause of the synovitis.

25% of cases progress to severe destructive arthritis. In the United States and Canada, mortality is estimated at about 4% and in Europe, mortality is estimated at 21.7%.

Reactive arthritis may be self-limiting, frequently recurring, chronic or progressive. Most patients have severe symptoms lasting a few weeks to six months. 15 to 50 percent of cases involve recurrent bouts of arthritis. Chronic arthritis or sacroiliitis occurs in 15–30 percent of cases. Repeated attacks over many years are common, and patients sometimes end up with chronic and disabling arthritis, heart disease, amyloid deposits, ankylosing spondylitis, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, cardiac conduction abnormalities, or aortitis with aortic regurgitation. However, most people with reactive arthritis can expect to live normal life spans and maintain a near-normal lifestyle with modest adaptations to protect the involved organs.