Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation in the lining of the joints. It most commonly affects the hands, wrists and knees but the inflammation can also become systemic, affecting other areas of the body such as the heart, lungs and kidneys. Some common symptoms are pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints when waking up in the morning or after periods of inactivity. Migraine and rheumatoid arthritis appear to have a bidirectional relationship, meaning someone with migraine is more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis and vice versa. 

A study found the incidence of RA in the migraine group was higher than the control group (2.0% vs. 1.4%) and incidence of migraine was higher in the RA group than controls (6.4% vs 4.6%).¹