Rheumatoid Arthritis Care

The Rush Approach to Rheumatoid Arthritis Care

At its worst, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can make even the simplest activities — like removing a lid from a jar or taking a walk — too difficult to manage.

But you don’t have to manage alone. Rush rheumatologists know how challenging it can be to live with this disease. And we're here to help.

We provide coordinated, comprehensive care to minimize damage to your joints, reduce and manage flares, and enable you to lead your best life.

Although our dedicated RA clinic is at Rush University Medical Center, you can see Rush RA specialists at our Oak Park, Oak Brook and South Loop offices. This makes it seamless for you to get specialized services at Rush's downtown campus if you need them, while carrying out your treatment plan closer to home.

Rush Excellence in Rheumatoid Arthritis Care

• Specialized expertise: The Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinic at Rush University Medical Center features a full range of services for adults with rheumatoid arthritis — all under one roof. This includes medications and pain management; guidance on starting an exercise program to strengthen your muscles and control pain; education on lifestyle changes that can help limit the effects of the disease; and early access to new therapies through clinical trials.
• Convenient on-site services: We have a full laboratory, X-ray and bone density facilities, and an infusion therapy center within our clinic space. And we offer our patients the convenience of on-site vaccinations and PPD testing (a skin test to determine if you have tuberculosis).
• Personalized medication regimens: Our team will work with you to create a personalized medication regimen and make adjustments as needed. Your plan may include disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs that slow the course of the disease; biologic agents that help reduce RA-specific inflammation and structural damage issues; and the newest RA drugs, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, which can slow the progression of joint damage.
• Advancing RA treatment: Standard RA treatments don’t work in more than half of RA patients. In hopes of offering a better alternative, Rush rheumatologists are collaborating with a biotech company to develop an RA vaccine. Since the vaccine targets the immune cells that trigger and maintain the disease process, not the cells that protect the body from infections, it’s safer than current therapies. It's also less expensive. The vaccine is expected to be available at Rush through clinical trials in 2021.
• Leading orthopedic surgeons: If medications are not enough to manage your pain and maintain flexibility, you may need surgery to help (e.g., fusion, joint replacement or synovectomy). Rush orthopedic surgeons perform thousands of joint surgeries every year and are leaders in minimally invasive procedures, which offer faster recovery and minimal pain. Many RA patients who have surgery enjoy a significant improvement in their symptoms.