Topical TwHF gel recipe composes Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, Mangxiao (Mirabilite), Chuanxiong (Rhizoma Ligustici), Ruxiang (Olibanum), Moyao (M yrrh) (prescription proportion is 4:4:2:2:1).Each gel is 20 gram(g). TwHF gel is applied for 1st to 5th metacarpophalangeal joints, 1st to 5th proximal interphalangeal joints, wrists, knees and ankles 20g for 1 hour, once per day from week 0 through week 4 and 10g for 1 hour, once per day from week 5 through week 8.

Placebo recipe composes viscous agent which matches by the sucrose. The usage and dosage of topical TwHF and placebo are the same.

a patient must have 20% or greater improvement in both tender and swollen joints (28 tender and 28 swollen joints were assessed) and 20% or greater improvement in 3 or more of the following: the physician's or patient's assessment of global health status, the patient's assessment of pain on a visual analogue scale, the patient's assessment of function using a modified version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level.

a patient must have 50% or greater improvement in both tender and swollen joints (28 tender and 28 swollen joints were assessed) and 50% or greater improvement in 3 or more of the following: the physician's or patient's assessment of global health status, the patient's assessment of pain on a visual analogue scale, the patient's assessment of function using a modified version of the HAQ), and the ESR or CRP level.