Search results for: chronic pain

Just You & the Patient: Tips to Stay Focused at Work

Karen Appold | November 24, 2017

Ringing phones, patient emergencies, staff interruptions—rheumatologists work amidst distraction all day. Here are some practical and personal tips on how to stay focused on your patients…

Psoriasis Tied to Higher Risk of Serious Liver Disease

Lisa Rapaport | November 13, 2017

(Reuters Health)—People with chronic inflammatory disorders, such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), may have an increased risk of developing serious liver damage, a recent study suggests. These inflammatory disorders are often treated with methotrexate, a medication linked to an increased risk of liver disease. For the current study, researchers followed more than 1 million…

Rheumatology Case Report: TINU Syndrome with Concomitant Synovitis

Ambreesh Chawla, MD, David Benderson, MD, Mikhail Kotlov, MD, Evan Leibowitz, MD, & Ashraf Raslan, MD | November 10, 2017

Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis (TINU) syndrome, also known as Dobrin syndrome, is a rare oculo-renal inflammatory disease. It was first described in 1975 by American physician Robert Dobrin, MD.1 It manifests as acute interstitial nephritis and bilateral uveitis. In addition, patients often experience nonspecific systemic findings, such as fever, weight loss, malaise, myalgia and arthralgia. TINU…

Rheumatic Disease Does Not Preclude Pregnancy

Ruth Jessen Hickman, MD | November 9, 2017

Preconception planning is essential to help women with autoimmune disease have optimal pregnancy outcomes. Unplanned pregnancy can also negatively impact disease course in some patients. Yet many rheumatologic patients of childbearing age do not receive adequate contraception or prepregnancy education and counseling. Rheumatologists must work collaboratively with other healthcare providers to make sure rheumatic patients…

Physical Activity, Exercise Can Benefit Patients with RA

August Floden, PT, MS | November 9, 2017

While medical advances in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have led to improvements in disease control and quality of life for patients worldwide, the rate for stable remission remains low.1 Management of RA symptoms is traditionally accomplished through a combination of medications and nonpharmacological interventions.2 This approach can prevent the development of secondary adverse health outcomes. Two…

GSK Wins U.S. Shingles Vaccine Approval, U.K. Nod for Gene Therapy

Ben Hirschler | October 23, 2017

LONDON (Reuters)—GlaxoSmithKline has won U.S. approval for a new and improved shingles vaccine, the second of three key products for which the British drugmaker expects approval this year. It also secured a recommendation from U.K. cost authorities for a $700,000 gene therapy for so-called “bubble boy” disease—a step forward for the field of fixing faulty…

Where OA & Depression Intersect

Carina Stanton | October 20, 2017

Pain, limited mobility and lower quality of life—these aspects of living with osteoarthritis may result in severe depression. New research from Alan Rathbun, PhD, MPH, may enable physicians to better understand the intersection of physical and mental health so they can improve overall patient care…

Rheumatology Case Report: Monoarticular Arthritis in Pregnancy

Aiza Tariq, MD, and Harry D. Fischer, MD | October 18, 2017

Limited data exist on the clinical presentation of Muckle–Wells syndrome (MWS) during pregnancy. The purpose of this case report is to highlight the diagnosis of MWS in a pregnant woman. Many rheumatic diseases affect women of childbearing age, and their management during pregnancy can be challenging. Case A 33-year-old, 18-weeks’ pregnant woman was hospitalized for…

Fulbright Scholar Researches Physical Activity in Swedish Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Carina Stanton | October 18, 2017

A stroll through downtown Stockholm presents a quintessential picture of an active community, with most people biking or walking as their preferred mode of travel. Yet children in Sweden who live with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)—currently estimated at around 64 of every 100,000—don’t always engage in this active lifestyle.1 Maura Daly Iversen, PT, DPT, SD,…

New Studies Examine Impact of Poverty, Race, Ethnicity in Patients with SLE

Elizabeth Hofheinz, MPH, MEd | October 17, 2017

To correctly address a problem, one must have a handle on its nuances—a clear understanding of what is linked and how. And thus far, when it comes to lupus, we haven’t reached the point of understanding those intricacies. Things are heading in the right direction, however, with two new studies that get us much closer…