Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a debilitating, painful autoimmune disease that affects the joints, causing severe pain and discomfort. Patients with RA suffer not only from pain, but stiffness, fatigue, fever, and sleep disorders. According to healthandage.com, RA is a chronic disease that will affect a patient throughout their lifetime, requiring a variety of medicines, physical therapy, and in extreme cases, surgery. While there is no cure, there are several treatment options, including complementary/alternative medicine, commonly called CAM. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NCCAM, alternative medicines are not considered conventional treatments at this time - that is "medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees." This means that alternative options are controversial.

Nonetheless, some patients have great successes with alternative treatments. It is important to stress that alternative treatments are not meant as a complete replacement for conventional medical treatments. The NCCAM also stresses that patients should first seek diagnosis by a doctor, and follow up treatment with a rheumatologist. Also worth noting is that few alternative treatments have been proven to be completely effective, though some have shown promise, and more study is required.

So what are alternative treatments? There are a surprising number of alternative options available that might mean the avoidance of invasive surgeries, and they are not all herbal supplements, as you might think. Herbs are sometimes used by rheumatoid arthritis suffers for treating the disease. Many herbs - ginger, turmeric, frankincense - may help relieve arthritis symptoms, says Arthritis Treatment and Relief.

However, none of these herbs has been proven to work, and again more research is needed. Another form of treatment applies physical therapy in the form of acupuncture, chiropractics, massage, and balneotherapy, or spa therapy. The theory here is not necessarily to treat the joints themselves, but to provide forms of relief to the symptoms of the arthritis. These must be done regularly to be effective.

Some forms of meditation have been helpful for pain management. Exercise for patients with RA has to be strictly limited to avoid inflammation. However, small amounts of exercise helps to relieve some of the painful symptoms associated with RA. Yoga and tai chi may be the answer. They help patients maintain muscle flexibility and increase mobility, stamina, and overall health. Perhaps the most important consideration to take when contemplating complementary or alternative medicines is trying them and deciding what works best for you.