Medical management

Who is in your health team and how they can help

Receiving a formal diagnosis is key to understanding and developing a plan for managing it.

Below we have some free eLearnings about who may be in your health care team, their role, how they can support you and how you may be able to make use of telehealth.

Medication and arthritis

There are a range of different medications that may be in used arthritis. These can be different depending on your symptoms and/or the type of arthritis you have. Some types of arthritis have very specific types of medicines that can only be prescribed by your rheumatologist.

The information sheet below provides general information about medicines and arthritis.

If you would more information about specific medicines please visit the Australian Rheumatology Association website.

Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)

DMARDs (Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) are a group of medicines used in autoimmune types of arthritis. Most people in Australia start these medicines from a specialist doctor such as a Rheumatologist.

To find out more watch the video below and read

To learn more about medicines and arthritis download the ‘medicines and arthritis’ information sheet which provides general information about the main types of medicines used for arthritis. It also has tips on the safe use of medicines and where to go for further information.

Medical procedures and arthritis

Blood tests

You may have blood tests to help with diagnosis and as part as monitoring your condition.
Read the fact sheet below to find out more.

Joint replacement

Joint replacement involves replacing a damaged joint with an artificial joint. In 2019 there was over 115,000 joint replacement surgeries in Australia.

There is no ‘right time’ to have a joint replacement, and there are many factors to weigh up when considering surgery. Talk to your doctor and specialist about the benefits and risks and if this procedure is right for you.

To learn more about joint replacements and surgery download the information sheet which provides an introduction to the most common types of surgery for arthritis, tips when speaking to your doctor, and how to be prepared for it. The booklet Joint Replacement provides a more in-depth look at why surgery may be needed, the causes, life before and after surgery and the long-term outlook.