rheumatoid.au is a resource from BJC Health, a Sydney rheumatology group, for people with suspected or diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis. Whether you're waiting on answers, newly diagnosed, or years into living with RA, there's a useful next step here.
Clinics in Chatswood, Parramatta and Bondi Junction · Free online resources for all Australians
I think this might be RA.
Persistent joint pain, swelling or morning stiffness lasting more than a few weeks deserves proper assessment. Early diagnosis matters in RA, and a rheumatologist is the specialist trained to make it.
Not sure? Take the 2-minute RA check belowI've just been diagnosed.
A new diagnosis brings a lot of questions at once. Good early treatment, clear information and the right team make the first year much easier to navigate.
See what the first year looks likeI've lived with RA for years.
Even well-controlled RA benefits from review. If you're managing on medication alone, there may be more support available than you've been offered.
Explore the support availableJoint pain, swelling or stiffness that persists beyond six weeks is a signal to act, not to wait and see. RA treatment generally works best when it starts early, in the first months rather than after years of symptoms. The 2-minute check below helps you work out whether an assessment is worth considering.
Five quick questions, adapted from the criteria rheumatologists use when classifying RA. It's a guide to help you decide whether to see your doctor. It cannot diagnose you, and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
Adapted from the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis, which are designed for use by clinicians alongside examination and testing. This check is general information only, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice. Your answers are not stored.
There is no single fix, and treatment is always tailored to the person. But there is a clear, well-established approach, and modern treatment has transformed what living with RA looks like. The aim is to settle the inflammation, protect the joints, and keep you doing the things that matter to you.
DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs) are the foundation of RA treatment. They treat the disease itself, not just the symptoms, and methotrexate is usually the first choice. While a DMARD takes effect over several weeks, your doctor may use anti-inflammatories or a short course of corticosteroids to settle symptoms in the meantime.
When standard DMARDs are not enough, a rheumatologist can prescribe targeted treatments that block specific drivers of inflammation. These include biologic medicines such as TNF and IL-6 inhibitors, and targeted tablets such as JAK inhibitors. They are prescribed and monitored by a rheumatologist, and in Australia are subsidised through the PBS for people who meet the eligibility criteria.
Exercise is part of the treatment, not an optional extra. Regular strengthening and mobility work protect joint function and help with fatigue, and physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and hand therapists can tailor this safely, alongside support for eating well and the mental load of a chronic condition.
See the support available →The right combination is decided with your rheumatologist, guided by regular review and measurement, based on how active the condition is and what matters to you. This page is general information and is not a recommendation about any specific medicine.
Medication is the foundation of modern RA treatment, and it works. But international rheumatology guidance is clear that people do best when medical treatment is combined with education, regular movement, healthy eating and support for the mental load of a chronic condition.
That's the model BJC Health has built over two decades: rheumatologists working alongside physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and other allied health professionals, so the whole person is looked after, not just the joints.
We've mapped what typically happens from first weeks to controlled disease, who helps at each step, and what you can do yourself.
Download the RA roadmap (free PDF)Specialist diagnosis, treatment and long-term monitoring, across three Sydney clinics and via telehealth in NSW.
Physiotherapy, exercise physiology and hand therapy, working in the same team as your rheumatologist.
Self-paced education built by our rheumatologists, dietitians and exercise physiologists, available anywhere in Australia.
A free online community with live events, recordings and a library of practical resources.
Our model of care reflects the Australian Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Care Standard, developed by the Australian Rheumatology Association with consumers: early treatment, regular monitoring, support to stay active, attention to emotional wellbeing, and care for the whole of your health.
See a rheumatologist at Chatswood, Parramatta or Bondi Junction, or by telehealth across NSW. You'll need a GP referral to claim a Medicare rebate.
Book an appointmentLiving Well with Rheumatoid Arthritis is a self-paced online course covering medications, what to expect, anti-inflammatory eating, safe movement and managing the emotional side of RA. Built by rheumatologists, dietitians and exercise physiologists.
Learn about the courseLive educational events every fortnight, a library of recordings, ebooks, videos and recipes, and a community of people who get it. Free for anyone in Australia, whether or not you're a BJC patient.
Create a free accountRA often starts with pain, swelling and stiffness in the small joints of the hands and feet, typically worse in the morning and lasting more than 30 minutes. Only a proper medical assessment can diagnose RA. If your symptoms have persisted for more than a few weeks, see your GP and ask whether a rheumatology referral is appropriate. You can also take our short RA check above as a starting point. It's a guide, not a diagnosis.
You can book directly, but you'll need a referral from your GP (or another specialist) to claim a Medicare rebate.
Your rheumatologist will take a detailed history, examine your joints, and review any tests you've had. You may need further bloods or imaging. If RA is diagnosed, treatment usually starts promptly, as early treatment gives the best long-term results. Our free RA roadmap above shows what the first year typically looks like. If you'd like to arrive prepared, download our one-page guide of questions to ask your doctor.
Yes. Regular, appropriately guided exercise reduces pain, improves function and lifts mood, and it's safe with RA when built up sensibly. Our exercise physiologists and physiotherapists work with people at every stage, from newly diagnosed to long-established disease.
A self-paced course created by BJC Health's rheumatologists, dietitians and exercise physiologists. It covers how RA medications work, what to expect over time, anti-inflammatory eating, safe movement and looking after your emotional wellbeing. You can do it from anywhere in Australia, in your own time.
General information only, not personal medical advice.
You don't need to sort everything at once. Book an appointment, start learning, or join the community. Each one moves you forward.