Palindromic rheumatoid arthritis disease is whereby you experience periodic episodes of pain, swelling, warmth, and stiffness of joints. With this condition, you find yourself subsceptible to recurrent attacks of transient inflammation in and around the joints. This condition normally plagues two or three joints. Because not much is known, it is very difficult to get treated for this form of disease.

Palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Palindromic rheumatoid arthritis is usually characterized by episodic articular, or periarticular pain. The fingers and knees are two of the most common joints affected by the disease. The pain may be intense but it does not last longer than two or three days. The attacks stop as quickly as they begin.

Some attacks last as long as a few hours, while others two or three days. These recurrent episodes of pain usually form a specific pattern. In 60% cases, those who are suffering from this disease may have pain-free periods lasting up to weeks or months. In some cases, these attacks recur after years and cause no permanent damage.

Rheumatoid factors in Palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis

Some of these rheumatoid factors are:

* Large joints are most commonly involved in the recurrent episodes of attack

* In the swelling of the periarticular tissues such as heel pads and finger pads, soft tissues are also involved.

* Aside from pain and swelling, the Palindromic rheumatoid arthritis patient may feel nodules just below the skin in subcutaneous tissues.

* Blood tests: If they indicate an elevation of the ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and CRP (C-reactive protein) level, it is a rheumatoid factor

Treatment for Palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis

The treatment for this disease is very difficult to administer. This is because the symptoms of recurrent periods of pain and attack are transient.

Even the anti-inflammatory medicines may not be very effective. However, doctors generally prescribe disease-modifying drugs such as hydroxyxhloroquine or methotrexate for the patients. These medicines are said to be effective particularly if there are positive rheumatoid factors present.

Note that in these cases, the treatment is symptomatic. They do not address the root cause of palindromic rheumatoid arthritis. As such, there is no cure for this disease. More research and studies are currently being conducted by the medical community. Hopefully, with more light shed on this condition, there can be a cure some day.