Inflammatory Arthritis Treatment in Pune & PCMC
Joint swelling that is driven by the immune system, not by wear.
Ravet, Pimpri-Chinchwad · OPD Mon, Wed, Fri
IllustrativeOverview
What this group of conditions has in common
Inflammatory arthritis means the lining of the joint is being attacked by the immune system. The joint swells, warms and stiffens — and unlike mechanical wear, it is worst after rest and eases as the day goes on.
This is the group where timing changes the outcome most sharply. Treatment started within the first three months of symptoms gives a substantially higher chance of remission and of never developing deformity. Treatment started after two years is managing damage that has already happened.
The purpose of this clinic is to shorten that gap. Patients with new joint swelling are seen on a fast-track basis, examined properly, and either started on disease-modifying treatment or reassured — not left on painkillers to see what happens.
IllustrativeRecognising it
The clues that point to this group
Pattern recognition does more diagnostic work in rheumatology than any single test. These are the features that matter here.
Morning stiffness over 30 minutes
The single most discriminating question in the whole speciality. Mechanical joint pain loosens within minutes of getting up; inflammatory disease takes half an hour or more, often much longer.
Swelling you can see and feel
Boggy, warm fullness across the knuckles or the ball of the foot — not just an ache. Squeeze tenderness across the MCP or MTP joints is a bedside sign that carries real weight.
Symmetry
Rheumatoid arthritis characteristically hits the same joints on both sides. Asymmetry points elsewhere — towards spondyloarthritis, psoriatic disease or crystal arthritis.
Systemic features
Fatigue out of proportion to activity, low-grade fever, weight loss. These are why inflammatory arthritis is treated as a whole-body disease rather than a joint problem.
Investigation
The tests that separate these conditions
Only the investigations that answer a specific question — plus the safety screening required before any immunosuppression.
Anti-CCP antibody
The most specific blood test for rheumatoid arthritis; can turn positive years before the first swollen joint.
Rheumatoid factor
Supportive but far less specific — also raised in hepatitis C, chronic infection and in some healthy older adults.
ESR and CRP
Grade the activity at baseline and measure response at every follow-up.
Joint ultrasound with Power Doppler
Detects synovitis and early erosions that plain X-rays miss entirely.
TB and hepatitis screening
Mandatory before immunosuppression in India — done at baseline, not after a problem.
Treatment
How this is treated, step by step
A defined sequence with a defined review point at each stage — not an open-ended prescription.
- 01
Confirm it is inflammatory
Structured joint count, inflammatory markers, serology and ultrasound where the examination is equivocal.
- 02
Start a DMARD promptly
Methotrexate is the anchor, weekly with folic acid. Leflunomide, sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine are used alone or in combination.
- 03
Bridge with a short steroid course
6–12 weeks while the DMARD takes effect, then tapered off — with bone protection started at the same time.
- 04
Score and escalate
DAS28 or CDAI at every visit. If the target is not met by 12 weeks, therapy changes rather than continuing unchanged.
- 05
Biologics if needed
TNF, IL-6, rituximab or abatacept, or an oral JAK inhibitor. Indian biosimilars have made these far more affordable than a decade ago.
Conditions in this group
2 conditions treated under inflammatory arthritis
Each has a full patient guide covering symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and the warning signs that need urgent attention.
- Inflammatory Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Symmetric small-joint swelling that responds best when treated within the first 12 weeks.
Read the guide - Inflammatory Arthritis
Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Sudden shoulder and hip stiffness after 50 that responds to steroids within days.
Read the guide
Do not wait for an appointment if you have
- A single hot, swollen, exquisitely painful joint with fever — septic arthritis must be excluded urgently
- New breathlessness or a persistent dry cough while on DMARDs
- Any infection while on a biologic or JAK inhibitor — call before self-medicating
- Neck pain with tingling, weakness or clumsiness in the hands
Call the clinic on +91 70571 19999 or attend the nearest emergency department.
Questions
FAQs — inflammatory arthritis
How quickly do I need to be seen if my joints are swelling?
Will I be on medication for life?
My reports are normal but my joints still swell. What now?
Also treated
Other treatment areas
Spondyloarthritis & Back Pain
Back pain that is worse at rest and better with movement is not a mechanical strain.
Autoimmune & Connective Tissue Disease
Multi-system disease where the complications that matter are silent early.
Gout & Crystal Arthritis
The most curable arthritis there is — and the most commonly mistreated.
Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis & Soft-Tissue Pain
The conditions where structured exercise outperforms most drugs.
Vasculitis
The one group in rheumatology where days of delay cost sight, kidneys or life.
Get a specialist opinion on inflammatory arthritis
Consultations at the Ravet clinic in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Bring your previous reports — a properly reviewed history usually saves repeating tests.