Managing Arthritis Flares

A Patient’s Guide  
to Managing
Arthritis Flares

If you’re living with osteoarthritis or an inflammatory type of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, you’ve probably experienced the intense pain of flares.

An arthritis flare-up is a period of increased disease activity that can take a toll on you physically and emotionally, especially because they can come on unexpectedly. Although arthritis flares are never pleasant, there are techniques that can help shorten their duration.

In this guide, you’ll learn about the symptoms of arthritis flares, what causes them, and helpful tips to manage them.

Get the Patient Guide to Managing Arthritis Flares

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In this free resource, you'll learn about:

The main symptoms of an arthritis flare and how to recognize when you’re having one

What can trigger an arthritis flare, so you can prevent them as much as possible

The top 8 expert strategies for managing an arthritis flare

A rheumatoid arthritis flare is an acute activation of the immune system, such that the joints become inflamed, painful, and difficult to move. Flares can go on for several weeks without appropriate therapy.”

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— Ashira Blazer, MD, an instructor in the department of medicine at NYU Langone Health

There is no way to predict if a mild flare is going to turn into a severe flare. For example, a swollen, warm, and red joint should always lead to an immediate phone call to your doctor — since patients can also

potentially develop an infected joint, which needs to be treated immediately. If you have any questions, play it safe and call your doctor so you can start treatment promptly if needed.

About CreakyJoints

CreakyJoints® is a digital community for millions of arthritis patients and caregivers worldwide who seek education, support, advocacy, and patient-centered research. We represent patients in English and Spanish through our popular social media channels, our websites, and the 50-State Network, which includes more than 1,600 trained volunteer patient, caregiver, and health care activists.

Part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation, CreakyJoints also has a patient-reported outcomes registry called ArthritisPower® (ArthritisPower.org), which includes tens of thousands of consented arthritis patients who track their disease while volunteering to participate in longitudinal and observational research. CreakyJoints publishes the popular “Raising the Voice of Patients” series, which offers downloadable patient-centered educational and navigational tools for managing chronic illness. It also hosts PainSpot (PainSpot.org), a digital risk-assessment tool for musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, and eRheum (eRheum.org), for telehealth and virtual-care support. All programming is free, always. For more information and to become a member, visit CreakyJoints.org.

The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. CreakyJoints.org is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.