Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, autoimmune disease marked by systemic inflammation of both articular joints and extra-articular areas (e.g. cardiopulmonary systems).RA is a progressive disease,Onset can occur at any age but peaks around 30 to 60 years old,Females are three times as likely to be diagnosed with RA compared to males,Children can also be affected, as seen in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.In total, about 1-2% of people in the United States have RA, with 80% of them testing positive for rheumatoid factors ie autoantibodies produced by the immune system that is responsible for the autoimmune component of the disease.Physical therapy plays a large role in the management of RA and physical therapists (PT) should be aware of the pathophysiology of the disease and the implications of therapeutic interventions used to delay or arrest the progression to provide proper patient care.