Arthritis
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling from osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis.
About this condition
Arthritis covers several different conditions. Osteoarthritis involves the gradual loss of joint cartilage and is most common in knees, hips, hands and the spine. Inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, is driven by the immune system attacking the joint lining and needs specialist rheumatology treatment to control the disease itself.
Both types cause pain, stiffness and reduced function, and both can be exhausting. Even when inflammatory disease is well controlled with disease modifying medicines, pain can persist. An assessment considers which type of arthritis you have been diagnosed with, who oversees your rheumatology care and how your symptoms respond to what you already take.
Treatments people usually try first
These are the treatments commonly offered in the UK for this condition. A specialist doctor will want to know which of them you have tried, and what happened.
- Paracetamol and topical or oral anti inflammatory medicines
- Disease modifying medicines such as methotrexate for inflammatory arthritis
- Biologic medicines under rheumatology care
- Steroid injections into affected joints
- Physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and occupational therapy
- Joint replacement surgery where a joint is severely damaged
Could medical cannabis be appropriate?
People with this condition sometimes ask whether medical cannabis could be appropriate for them. That is a question for a specialist doctor, who will look at your diagnosis, your history and everything you have already tried before saying anything either way.
Medical cannabis is an unlicensed prescription only medicine in the UK. It is considered only where a diagnosed condition has not responded adequately to conventional treatment, and it is never a first step. We cannot tell you in advance what might be prescribed, and UK law does not allow us to describe or advertise any medicine on this website.
What we can do is assess you properly and be honest with you. If a specialist doctor does not think this route is right for you, they will say so, and they will explain why.
All treatment is subject to clinical assessment and eligibility.
Questions about arthritis
Chronic pain
Other conditions in this category
YOUR NEXT STEP
Find out where you stand, free.
The eligibility check takes 30 seconds and carries no commitment. All treatment is subject to clinical assessment and eligibility.
Check your eligibility