CKS is no longer commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE remains committed to providing a replacement service for CKS and is currently reviewing its options. In the meantime, although CKS content is now not being maintained, it still remains relevant and will continue to be made available. CKS content was generated under a programme of topic creation and update. To check if the topic you are viewing is current or out of date, please refer to the topic publication details by clicking on the 'How up-to-date is this topic?' link in the left hand menu on individual topic pages.
Rheumatoid arthritis - Management
Basis for recommendation
This recommendation is based on the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline Rheumatoid arthritis: national clinical guideline for management and treatment in adults [National Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions, 2009; NICE, 2009].
- After reviewing the evidence (one meta-analysis, two RCTs, and one case series) on complementary and alternative therapies (such as acupuncture, massage therapy) in RA, NICE concluded that there was a lack of evidence of benefit.
- At best, complementary therapy gave short-term benefits similar to analgesics.
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement