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Viral arthritis - Treatment

Treatment:

Your doctor may prescribe pain medicines to relieve discomfort. You doctor may also prescribe antiviral or anti-inflammatory medications.

If joint inflammation is severe, aspiration of fluid from the affected joint may relieve pain.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outcome is usually good. Most viral arthritis disappears within several days or weeks when the virus-related disease goes away.

Complications:

There are usually no complications.

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if arthritis symptoms last longer than a few weeks.

  • Reviewed last on: 12/1/2009
  • David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Espinoza LR. Infections of bursae, joints, and bones. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 293.

Ohl CA. Infectious arthritis of native joints. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009:chap 102.

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