Around 1.5 million people in the United States suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in which the immune system attacks the joints creating pain and swelling in addition to sometimes extreme joint damage. According to the Arthritis Foundation, it most commonly affects those aged 30 to 60 and women are much more likely to have RA than men by a ratio of three to one.

Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis
There is no known cure for RA at the moment, so treatment focuses on remission and relieving symptoms. There are many medications used to treat the various symptoms of the disease and to slow or hopefully stop the progression. For those whose symptoms can't be controlled with medication, surgery may become necessary. This usually occurs when so much damage has occurred that joint replacement surgery is the only way to relieve the pain and allow function back into the damaged joints. The two most common joint replacement surgeries are hip and knee replacements.

Stem Cells: A New Frontier for Fighting RA Symptoms?
When stem cell therapy first became a subject of interest, the controversy surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells quickly shut down many possibilities. Now, scientists have discovered that stem cells exist in the organs and tissues of adults and can be used in almost the same way, according to Dr. Naota Hashimoto, DC, of Desert Medical Care and Wellness in La Quinta, California.

"These cells are dormant until an injury or degenerative disease occurs and in a way turns them on and calls them into action," he said.

"Then they go to work stimulating the body's healing process. We simply take them and place them where they need to be to heal what needs to be healed."

More Research is Needed and Likely Coming Soon
The stem cells are taken from the actual patient and then injected back into their body. Because the stem cells are the patient's own, it's considered safe by many doctors and scientists, although the FDA has yet to approve of the use of this therapy on any specific area.

Researchers are hard at work studying the many ways stem cells could help patients all over the world. In fact, some have said that they believe stem cells are the future and their potential is limitless.

"Scientist aren't sure exactly how the stem cells are helping heal but they believe they help suppress inflammation and develop into cartilage cells that the body need desperately for RA patients," said Hashimoto.

"They also believe the proteins released by the stem cells may help relieve pain and slow down the deterioration of the cartilage."