Originally Posted by Jay Turberville

As others have said. Nobody here can really know what will work for you. These things are individual and personal. But I do think it is reasonable to suggest you try options with multiple possible hand positions. I think that most people will agree that the ability to change hand positions during a long ride is generally helpful in relieving hand fatigue. So it seems likely that this would help with RA as well. And the more options, the more likely it is that you will find a particularly good positions/grip that is easier on your RA.

I noticed that most road riders seldom use their drops and spend most of their time more upright on the hoods. So I started experimenting with flat bars and had the idea of using MTB bar ends toward the middle of the handlebar as mini aero bars. The idea was to provide an additional hand position and a narrow more aero position without having to bend over a lot. I finally ended up with the setup pictured below. Its an older Scott AT4-Pro MTB Aero bar with the bar ends added. I've found this to be a nice setup - for me. I don't want to get low and crane my neck up to see forward. I'm done with that.

I'm not suggesting that you try to copy this setup. But I do encourage you to experiment. It seems that there are more and more handlebar options available these days as more and more people find themselves unhappy with traditional bars. Heck there are even variations on the drop bars that have a shallower and wider drop, flatter bar tops, etc. So take note of your pain points and try some stuff out. Experimenting can get pricey. So cruising Craigslist and other used channels can help mitigate the costs. I think these Scott AT4 bars cost me $20. Maybe you know other riders who have tried stuff and have bars you can try out?