Your connective tissue plays a central role in your body. As its name suggests, it connects structures in your body, but it also supports and in some cases even separates other tissue types. All told, when your connective tissue has problems, it results in wide-ranging detriments for you.
That’s why connective tissue disease — the name for more than 200 conditions that can affect your connective tissue — can be so debilitating. And that’s why Reinhard Kage, MD, PhD, and Barbara Kage, MD, FACR, offer dedicated connective tissue disease treatment at Rheumatology and Allergy Institute of Connecticut, LLC.
Whether you’re living with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriatic arthritis, scleroderma, or another condition, the Drs. Kage and our caring, knowledgeable team are here to help you find treatment that brings you relief from your symptoms.
Let’s look at some of your options:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
In many cases, including rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue disease causes discomfort because it contributes to inflammation in the body. Fortunately, with NSAIDs, you have a way to directly combat that inflammation. As a result, NSAIDs work effectively to reduce symptoms for many people living with connective tissue disease.
Targeted medication
If a specific brand of disease is causing your connective tissue disease, you may be able to alleviate your symptoms by delivering treatment straight to the source. Here, that means taking medication designed to treat the underlying disease. Dr. Kage can help to determine if a separate disease is causing your connective tissue problems and, if so, help you find treatment to address that disease.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy can help you minimize pain and improve your mobility if you’re living with connective tissue disease. Based on your specific type of connective tissue disease, Dr. Kage can tell if physical therapy may help you.
Steroids
Steroids can help to reduce inflammation and, as a result, reduce your connective tissue disease symptoms. Some steroids are delivered via a targeted injection, while others are injected orally. Dr. Kage helps you decide if steroids are a good treatment option for you.
Biologics
Biologics are treatments developed from living substances, like proteins or antibodies. Depending on the type of connective tissue disease affecting you, Dr. Kage may recommend biologics to help you find relief.
Clearly, you have many options to explore that can help you find relief from any discomfort you’re experiencing as a result of connective tissue disease. If you’re ready to learn more and find out which treatment may be most effective for you, don’t hesitate to call the Rheumatology and Allergy Institute of Connecticut nearest you or schedule your appointment online today.