Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine ( TCM ) fumigation in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.Methods A total of 120 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were randomly divided into the control group and the observation group. Patients in the control group ( n=60) received methotrexate and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and patients in the observation group ( n=60) received TCM fumigation on the basis of those drugs that used in the control group. The efficacy between two groups was observed and compared after 15 days. Results The effective rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (χ2=5.04,P<0.05). Outcome measures (DSA28, Morning stiffness duration, ESR and CRP) between two groups were distinctly improved after treatment (P<0.01), and the improvement in the observation group was better than that in the control group ( P < 0. 05 ) . Conclusions TCM fumigation combined with Western medicine is more effective, safe and worthy of being widely used in treating active rheumatoid arthritis.