Non-Pharmacological Pain Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Many individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) continue to suffer from pain despite treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. In this review, we aim to summarize the evidence for non-pharmacological approaches for managing pain in RA.

Few studies have examined the effect of non-pharmacological therapies on pain in patients with RA. Of these studies, many were not designed to specifically target pain and examined pain as a secondary outcome. While most studies reported within group improvements in pain, the magnitude of improvement varied, and differences between intervention and control groups often were not statistically significant. We recommend non-pharmacologic approaches for management of RA, based primarily on data for improving pain-related outcomes (e.g., physical function, overall health), as opposed to pain itself. The evidence base for non-pharmacologic interventions for pain remains poor, and there is a critical need for large RCTs designed to specifically target pain.