Answering people’s questions about inflammatory arthritis

People with inflammatory arthritis and the Targeted Therapies Alliance

The Targeted Therapies Alliance aims to promote the quality use of specialised medicines. In particular, this includes biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, called bDMARDs. The alliance consists of consumer, research and other health organisations. It is led by NPS MedicineWise and includes Arthritis Australia.

We spoke with lots of people – young people, people with families and more. They told us their stories about how they successfully live with inflammatory arthritis. We hope the video above of these stories can empower others to take steps to better control their own condition.

People told us they want to know more about the steps in the journey with their condition. They want to know how to handle flares.

People also said they want to know if they are able to use less medicine. Some of these people worry about losing control of their condition.

We created a hub for people to find information and resources about inflammatory arthritis.

The journey with inflammatory arthritis

It can all be a bit daunting when you are diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis. You may have a lot of questions. What happens next, what can I expect, and how can I best manage my condition?

To help with this, we developed road maps with the different stages of a person’s journey. The stages include pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, initial treatment and modifying treatment. They also include maybe reducing treatment if everything is under control.

The road maps were for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. ​ We reviewed and tested them with a team including rheumatologists and people with these conditions. We also have videos of people with these conditions telling their stories.

Dealing with flares

Living with inflammatory arthritis can be unpredictable. Even with treatment, there may be times when your symptoms flare. Flares are something that worry a lot of people. This is why we developed a flare action plan.  A person can use this plan with their doctor to help better manage a flare when it comes. Being prepared and knowing what to do can help reduce the worry.

The plan includes what medicines to take and can help you make sure that you have enough of these ready in case you need them. It also includes other ways to manage a flare including gentle exercise, hot and cold packs, extra rest and so on.

Reducing medicines

If you have your rheumatoid arthritis under control, it may be possible to reduce your medicines. This can make life easier and more convenient, but some people told us they were worried that their symptoms may return. With this in mind, we developed a fact sheet and decision aid. These are to help you make an informed decision, together with your rheumatologist.

Other conditions

We have also developed resources for inflammatory bowel disease and plaque psoriasis. Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of conditions that cause inflammation in the digestive tract. Plaque psoriasis causes inflammation of the skin.

Specialised medicines can help with inflammatory arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and plaque psoriasis. Understanding your medicines is important to be able to live well with these conditions.