During a recent divisional grand rounds presentation, I asked a room full of my colleagues how many of them had been asked about turmeric by a patient within the past year, month, week or day. Most hands remained up by the end of the exercise. During a recent trip to New York City, I was…
Traditional X-rays, move over—there may be a new gold standard for joint imaging to assess even the smallest changes that can signal the onset of arthritis, as reported recently in the journal Scientific Reports.1 Utilizing the combined expertise of radiologists, rheumatologists and engineers, University of Cambridge researchers developed an algorithm to monitor the joints of…
Mirtazapine has been prescribed off-label to fibromyalgia patients who have not responded to other treatments. However, a recent systemic review found no difference between mirtazapine and placebo for these patients, and any potential benefits from mirtazapine may not outweigh its potential harm, including drowsiness, weight gain and liver damage…
SINGAPORE (Reuters)—Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki has opened up about her battle with rheumatoid arthritis, saying there have been days this year when she found it hard to get out of bed. The Dane, who claimed her maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne this year, crashed out of the WTA Finals in the group stage…
“I think I’m mentally sharper when I have been exercising and taking care of myself,” says Chris Phillips, MD, a rheumatologist in solo practice in Paducah, Ky. Dr. Phillips has recognized these benefits since high school, when he began participating in competitive sports. Four years ago, Dr. Phillips was competing against 40 other cyclists in…
Mounting evidence suggests that humans have a complex and integrated mind-body system. Knee problems may affect the spine and other body parts, but also the mind—and vice versa. This is the wisdom of Ayurveda, the 3,000-year-old traditional medicine from India. A team of researchers from Germany recently undertook a study, titled “Effectiveness of an Ayurveda…
Relapsing polychondritis (RPC) is a systemic and, in some cases, fatal disease. Dyspnea with findings of small airway disease—even in the absence of the more commonly associated tracheobronchial abnormalities or pathognomonic clinical findings, such as saddle nose and cauliflower ear—may be presenting signs and symptoms of relapsing polychondritis. Below, we present a case demonstrating that…
Synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome is a heterogeneous, inflammatory, musculoskeletal disease. The disease is an insidious, sterile osteitis with associated skin and synovial inflammation.1 Diagnosis can prove challenging, but a thorough clinical history, high clinical suspicion and imaging techniques can help clinch it. The below case reveals a rare, fulminant presentation of…
The disease called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) went through many different stages of classification before reaching the modern criteria reflecting our current understanding of its pathogenesis. In 1872, the Viennese dermatologist Moriz Kaposi, MD, published a paper, “New Contributions to Knowledge of Lupus Erythematosus,” which provided a significant leap forward in the characterization of this…
I glanced up from Amanda Wolf’s chart as the emergency department nurse, followed by the lab technician (tech), followed by the electrocardiogram (ECG) tech flowed into cubicle No. 5. John Benner, MD, pulled up a chair to review the case with me at the nursing station. “Here’s what we’ve got. Thirteen-year-old girl with a one-week…