Search results for: chronic pain

Coding Corner Question: Interprofessional Consultations

From the College | July 18, 2019

A 68-year-old patient reports that her eyes have been itchy and red for approximately one month. She was treated with erythromycin gel on Jan. 10; while the itching did not stop, the redness resolved. She denies any matting and has not used any other type of eye drops. She states there has been no change…

Addiction Therapy Is Underprescribed but May Benefit Medical Adherence

Thomas R. Collins | July 18, 2019

CHICAGO—Although medical treatments for addiction have been proved effective, they are not used often enough, said Kenneth Stoller, MD, during a session at the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, held April 5–7. These treatments bring health benefits that extend beyond addiction, he said. Dr. Stoller, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins…

Lyme Arthritis: Presentation, Diagnosis & Treatment

John N. Aucott, MD, & Sheila L. Arvikar, MD | July 18, 2019

A 52-year-old man living in greater Boston with a history of hypertension presented at our rheumatology clinic with bilateral knee pain and swelling. He had been in his usual state of health until four months earlier when he developed right knee pain and swelling without an incipient trauma, which did not improve with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory…

Certolizumab Pegol in Nonradiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

Arthritis & Rheumatology | June 27, 2019

Adding certolizumab pegol to background medication is better than adding a placebo for patients with active nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis, according to a new study…

The Rescue: Moving RA Patients from Adalimumab to Baricitinib

Lara C. Pullen, PhD | June 25, 2019

The phase 3, RA-BEAM study found RA patients who were switched from adalimumab to baricitinib experienced improvements in disease control even in the absence of an adalimumab washout. In the study, the change was not associated with an increase in adverse events or infections…

Researchers Examine Lupus Patient Data for Disease Activity Predictors

Larry Beresford | June 17, 2019

A recent analysis of retrospective clinical data on patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at 14 Canadian centers found that a surprisingly high proportion—at least one-third—had active disease at any point over five years of data collection.1 It has been a longstanding belief among clinicians that SLE becomes less active over time, although its accumulation…

What Physical & Occupational Therapists Wish Rheumatologists Knew

Linda Childers | June 17, 2019

Kim Steinbarger, PT, MHS, knows how physical and occupational therapy can make a difference for patients with rheumatic diseases. Ms. Steinbarger was just two years into her career as a physical therapist (PT) when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 1991. “I’ve seen how regular exercise serves as an important tool in managing…

Acute Microcrystalline Arthropathy Masquerades as Infectious Discitis

Jessita Albert Messiah Dhas, MD, Erik O’Connell, DO, & Lisa L. Schroeder, MD | June 17, 2019

Monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition commonly occurs within the distal appendicular skeleton. The peripheral nature of gout is a hallmark feature described in the ACR and the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) clinical practice guidelines.1 In this article, we report a rare presentation of a common disease: a case of axial gouty arthropathy masquerading as…

Case Report: Sjögren’s Syndrome Plus Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder

Swosti Roka Magar, MD, Gita Verma, MD, & Aaroop Haridas, MD | June 17, 2019

Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic multi-system autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and subsequent destruction of exocrine glands. Sjögren’s syndrome can present with glandular or extra-glandular manifestations. Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare central nervous system (CNS) autoimmune disease that can present as the initial manifestation in less than 5% of patients with Sjögren’s….