Rheumatoid arthritis: recognising the symptoms and living better day to day

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term inflammation affecting several joints. According to Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), it is an autoimmune disease: the immune system mistakenly attacks the thin lining inside the joints (the synovium, a thin layer that lubricates and nourishes the joint), which swells and becomes painful.

According to the Swiss League against Rheumatism, about one person in 200 is affected, close to 45,000 people in Switzerland, and women about three times as often as men. The causes are not fully understood: heredity, hormones, infections, environment and diet are among the factors studied.

What are the symptoms?

According to the Swiss League against Rheumatism and the FOPH:

• the small joints of the fingers and toes are often affected first, then sometimes the wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees and ankles;
• the joints are swollen, warm and painful;
• morning stiffness lasts at least 30 minutes, often several hours;
• it usually affects both sides of the body;
• there is often tiredness, a feeling like mild flu, a mild fever and dryness of the eyes or mouth.

The disease can also affect other tissues: tendons, eyes, lungs or heart. This is one reason for regular follow-up with a rheumatologist.

Flares

RA often comes in waves: calm periods alternate with flares, the FOPH explains. According to the League, a flare brings swollen and very painful joints, a strong feeling of being unwell, fever, great tiredness and poor sleep; it can last several days or weeks, and morning stiffness can then last up to two hours.

Why see a doctor early

According to the Swiss League against Rheumatism, joint damage can progress quickly, so it is important to confirm the diagnosis as early as possible. The good news: treatment started early can often slow this damage. Diagnosis relies on examination by an experienced doctor, supported by blood tests (rheumatoid factors and anti-CCP antibodies, markers the immune system makes in this disease), ultrasound and X-rays.

The disease-modifying treatment prescribed by the rheumatologist aims to calm the inflammation and protect the joints. It is often taken for many years. Never stop it without talking to your doctor.

Living day to day with rheumatoid arthritis

The Swiss League against Rheumatism stresses several points:

• Keep moving: physical activity is essential. Plan your programme with your physiotherapist and adapt it to the current inflammation. Listen to your body.
• Endurance: at least 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week, such as brisk walking or cycling, possibly in 10-minute blocks. Active RA raises cardiovascular risk, and endurance exercise helps prevent it: a practical step within your reach.
• Strength and balance: muscle strengthening 2 days a week, and balance exercises as you get older.
• Protect your hands: occupational therapy teaches movements that spare the joints while keeping you independent.
• Heat or cold can ease pain and muscle tension.
• Diet: balanced and varied, Mediterranean-style, with fish and oils high in omega-3 (rapeseed, walnut, linseed), less fatty meat. See also our article on autoimmune disease and diet. Always alongside the disease-modifying treatment, never in its place.
• Weight: significant excess weight loads the joints, especially the knees.

Warning signs

Get checked the same day, by a doctor or at the emergency department, if:

• a joint suddenly becomes very painful, swollen, red or hot, especially if it is only one joint;
• you have joint pain with a fever, chills or feel generally unwell.

See your doctor promptly if:

• you take a treatment that dampens the immune system and you have a fever, chills or other signs of infection: according to the League, tell your doctor immediately; they will tell you whether the treatment needs adjusting;
• a flare does not settle or keeps coming back;
• you have breathlessness, a lasting cough, or red and painful eyes.

These situations are rare. With current treatments, the League notes that many people have long calm periods with few or no symptoms.

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Looking beyond the joints

The first consultation lasts 1.5 to 2 hours (CHF 182). Bring your medical records, test results, your rheumatologist's reports and your list of medicines. We take stock and build your plan together. Follow-up is then adapted to how you progress. We work alongside your rheumatologist, your GP and the other professionals who support you.

Which approaches can play a part at Centre Algos?

Alongside medical care, and never replacing the disease-modifying treatment:

• Naturopathy: sleep, managing tiredness, daily rhythm and everyday diet.
• Functional biology and micronutrition: an assessment to spot possible nutritional imbalances, for example in vitamin D, to discuss with your doctor.
• Herbal medicine: any herb is discussed with your rheumatologist and pharmacist, because of possible interactions with your treatment.

Everyone responds differently: the aim is to help you live your days better, with no promise of results. For an overview, see our page on autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.

When to seek advice

Sources and further reading

• Swiss League against Rheumatism, "Polyarthrite rhumatoïde" (in French): frequency in Switzerland, symptoms, morning stiffness, flares, diagnosis, disease-modifying treatment, infections during treatment, physical activity, diet, weight.
• Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), "Maladies de l'appareil locomoteur" (in French): autoimmune disease, inflammation of the synovium, joints affected, course in flares.
• NHS, "Septic arthritis" (reviewed 3 September 2026): signs of an infected joint and need for urgent medical help.