The reason was rheumatoid arthritis , which occurs when the immune system starts attacking the lining of joints. “Then my hands didn’t hurt anymore, the swelling started going away.”Eventually, all symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis had vanished. Vagus nerve stimulation may tame autoimmune diseases The next big advance in treating diseases like rheumatoid arthritis could be tiny pulses of electricity delivered to the vagus nerve. Obesity Stokes Rheumatoid Arthritis With More Than Just Extra Weight A recent study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that obese individuals were 25 percent more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than people of normal weight. “And hugs.”Transcript: AILSA CHANG, HOST: People with rheumatoid arthritis usually depend on drugs to control pain in their joints.