Rheumatology

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common chronic autoimmune disease in the U.S., affecting 1.3 million adults.  An autoimmune disease occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body’s tissues.  It causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of motion and function of joints. The inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis can also affect other organs of the body, such as the eyes and lungs.

The Rheumatoid Arthritis Program at Tufts Medical Center in Boston has special expertise in diagnosing and treating the range of common and more complex cases of rheumatoid arthritis.

Getting to the cause of your symptoms

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms make even the simplest activities such as opening up a jar or getting dressed difficult to manage.  Our goal is to identify your symptoms, diagnose and treat them as soon as possible.  

To diagnose your disease, we use the most innovative tools including musculoskeletal ultrasound to image your joints and in certain cases, for therapeutic and diagnostic procedures.

Individualized treatment options

The physicians in our Rheumatoid Arthritis Program use the most up-to-date treatments.  Although the medications for rheumatoid arthritis cannot cure the disease, they can help control symptoms, slow down and stop joint damage. Newer therapies called biologics target specific parts of the immune system which leads to inflammation and joint damage.  We provide our patients with a full range of medical treatments.  Additionally, we coordinate care with all of your physicians and with physical therapy to provide the most comprehensive treatment plan.