How Does Rheumatoid Arthritis Affect the Feet?

U.S. News & World Report—April 26, 2017

In an article by U.S. News & World Report, HSS rheumatologist Susan M. Goodman, MD was featured discussing rheumatoid arthritis in the feet.

For people with rheumatoid arthritis, they might experience pain or joint deformities in the feet. Surgery is an option for a more complicated case of rheumatoid arthritis. However, Dr. Goodman said surgery is not for everyone, and that some "patients are at higher risk of a poor outcome and are unlikely to be satisfied with the results of [surgery]." She added, "these include [patients] who have unrealistic expectations about the outcome of surgery and those who feel overwhelmed by their pain. Other factors such as poor general health and obesity also increase the risk of poor outcomes."

"When a person with RA has pain that seems out of proportion to the X-ray findings, it may indicate that the basic inflammatory disease is poorly controlled, which is not directly seen on radiographs and may not require surgery. In that case, the patient might benefit more from an adjustment of their medications."

Read the full article at Health.USNews.com