Update: treatment of rheumatoid disease.

The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is, of necessity, highly individualized and thus invites the full application of the art of medicine. Patient education, physical therapy, NSAIDs, DMARDs, and surgical therapy all potentially play a role in the management of this syndrome. Careful and repeated assessment of signs and symptoms will identify patients who are likely to benefit from the wide array of helpful but imperfect drugs currently in use. The availability of increasingly effective therapy means that early referral and treatment are more important than ever in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.