If left untreated, low back pain can cause long-term disability. To aid its diagnosis and management, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has released revised guidance. Recommendations include the use of risk stratification tools for diagnosis, as well as physical activity or a comprehensive program that addresses biomechanical, aerobic and/or psychological needs…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Inpatient rehabilitation did not lead to better mobility following total knee replacement compared with a home-based program in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in Australia. The findings do not support inpatient rehabilitation for adults undergoing uncomplicated total knee arthroplasty, conclude the authors in JAMA on March 14.1 “Normally, one study is…
Brodalumab has received FDA approval for treating plaque psoriasis in adults, with a Boxed Warning against prescribing it for patients with a history of suicidal thoughts or behavior…
(Reuters Health)—A web-based program of exercise and coping skills training improves both function and pain in arthritic knees, a new study suggests. This kind of online therapy can greatly improve access to effective, nonsurgical and non-drug relief for people with osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers say. “Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic knee pain…
“To err is human.” —Alexander Pope (1688–1744) The Wisest Minds in Medicine At some point during our careers, we have the privilege of meeting a physician so talented that everyone else pales in comparison. These are those gifted clinicians whose astonishing mastery of medicine makes everyone in their midst feel like inept, babbling fools. They…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—What do treating hand osteoarthritis (OA) in the primary care setting, high financial strain and risk of depression in patients with lupus, prolonged sitting and cardiovascular disease, and sex-specific treatment after total hip arthroplasty have in common? They were all topics presented during a session titled ARHP I: Exemplary Abstracts at the 2016 ACR/ARHP…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Paulette Hahn, MD, associate professor of medicine specializing in rheumatology at the University of Florida (UF), said she once treated a patient named Monica, a UF undergraduate who had severe inflammatory muscle disease and severe lung disease. The patient’s disease was under control for the time being, but Monica knew she could take a…
SAN FRANCISCO—Interstitial lung disease (ILD) represents a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by inflammation or fibrosis of the lungs. The disorders are also associated with a spectrum of connective tissue diseases (CTDs). ILD is a common manifestation of CTDs, such as scleroderma, poly-/dermatomyositis and rheumatoid arthritis—and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in…
(Reuters Health)—People should try non-drug treatment options like massage or stretching for most cases of chronic low back pain before choosing treatment with over-the-counter or prescription drugs, according to new guidelines from the American College of Physicians (ACP). If the pain began recently, the guidelines recommend superficial heat, massage, acupuncture or spinal manipulation. If patients…
Career changes can be difficult. But for Stanford Shoor, MD, leaving clinical practice and becoming an educator in the field of rheumatology has been “a renaissance.”