Objective To investigate the effect of collaborative family care management combined with protective motivation theory intervention on the level of pain and inflammatory indexes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis（RA）. Methods A total of 108 RA patients admitted to a hospital in Pingdingshan from May 2020 to May 2021 were selected as subjects and assigned to a control group and an observation group using the random number table method

with 54 cases in each group. Patients in the control group received conventional care

and patients in the observation group received collaborative family care management combined with protective motivation theory intervention in addition to conventional care

and patients in both groups received continuous intervention for 3 months. The self-management behavior

self-efficacy

quality of life score and pain level and The Disease Activity Score-28（DAS28） scores were compared before and after the intervention

and the levels of inflammation indexes [interleukin-6（IL-6）

tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein（hs-CRP）] were compared before and after the intervention in the two groups. Results After the intervention

patients in the observation group had higher self-management behavior

self-efficacy and quality of life scores than the control group

and the differences were statistically significant（P<0.05）. The pain level and DAS28 scores of patients in the observation group were lower than those in the control group

and the differences were statistically significant（P<0.05）. The levels of IL-6

TNF-α and hs-CRP were lower in the observation group than those in the control group

and the differences were all statistically significant（P<0.05）. Conclusion Collaborative family care management combined with protective motivation theory intervention is effective in the clinical care of RA patients

which can effectively enhance patients’ self-management behaviors and self-efficacy

improve their quality of life

and effectively relieve patients’ pain level and inflammatory response. These benefits justify a wider application of this procedure clinically.