Pharmacologic management of inflammatory joint disease

Successful management of the arthritides demands a thorough understanding of the disease processes and the modes of action of those medications used to combat pain and joint destruction. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs are useful in controlling the symptoms of a broad range of arthritic diseases, while the utility of the various disease-modifying agents lies in their ability to change the course of disease activity. A review of these pharmaceutical agents and their clinical usefulness is presented.