Two drugs used for decades to treat inflammatory forms of arthritis may also benefit some people with hand osteoarthritis (OA). That’s according to two new studies presented at the 2019 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) annual meeting in early November in Atlanta.
Patient voices are critical to finding a cure for OA and other forms of arthritis. That’s the message Arthritis Foundation Osteoarthritis (OA) Programs Director Angie Botto-van Bemden, PhD, is sharing at the2019 annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR)6月12日至15日，马德里。Continue readingOur Global Message to Strengthen Patient Voices Is Heard at EULAR
The Arthritis Foundation is partnering globally with other osteoarthritis (OA)-related patient advocacy organizations to develop consistent treatment management messaging for all health care providers (HCPs) who interact with OA patients. Currently, an OA patient may see different types of HCPs, depending on the stage of their disease and their location. It’s important that primary care doctors become familiar with all OA treatment options so they can work with patients to develop the best care plans.Continue readingProviding a Consistent Message for OA Disease Management
Diagnosing osteoarthritis (OA) through a medical history, physical exam and x-ray is fairly straightforward, but predicting the progression – or how much osteoarthritis will worsen in any one person – is much harder.Continue readingHigh Uric Acid Impacts OA
According to a study inArthritis Care & Research在美国，髋关节和膝关节骨性关节炎患者使用口服止痛药的比例远远超过非药物替代品。在参与研究的近1200名患者中，70%至82%的人服用了止痛药;fewer than half triedphysical therapyor other nondrug options. Most were overweight, and none got the minimum 150 minutes of physical activity a week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for good health.
That’s a problem, says Laith Jazrawi, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and chief of sports medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. “We know that compared to people who are sedentary,patients who are more active have less painand better function.”
Globally,osteoarthritis(OA) is the third most rapidly rising condition associated with disability. We know the disease affects people of all ages, and given the current rate of population aging, it is estimated that the number of people who suffer from this disease will double in the next three decades. These are staggering statistics that we are actively trying to change.
Continue readingGlobal Survey Will Help Us Understand Patient Perceptions
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)根据一项新的荟萃分析，骨关节炎并不是手部或膝关节关节炎(OA)的有效治疗方法。The drugs are commonly used to treatrheumatoid arthritis (RA)and other forms ofinflammatory arthritis, but researchers in the United Kingdom (UK) found they were no better than placebo for OA pain. Their findings appeared in June 2018 inRheumatology.
DMARDs aren’t pain medications. They’re meant to slow the disease and prevent further damage to joints and organs by suppressing inflammation. When DMARDs work, pain usually improves as inflammation gets under control.
When it comes to easing the symptoms of kneeosteoarthritis (OA), the more weight loss, the better, according to researchers at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In a study published recently online inArthritis Care & Research,Stephen Messier, PhD, and colleagues report that overweight and obese adults aged 55 and older with knee OA who lost 20 percent or more of their body weight saw far greater improvements in pain, function, quality of life, inflammation and knee joint stress than those who lost less.
In an earlier trial, the same researchers found that a weight loss of 10 percent – the amount the National Institutes of Health recommends for overweight and obese adults – improved mobility and decreased pain by 50 percent over an 18-month period. In their latest findings, they say doubling weight loss can cut pain and improve function by another 25 percent.
A new study takes a look at which approaches are best to bring relief to people with kneeosteoarthritis (OA), a condition that affects approximately 20 percent of people over the age of 45 in the United States.
Knee OA can be extremely painful and limit a person’s ability to function. Although there is no cure, numerous treatments are available to reduce symptoms, including over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Exercising and losing weight if a patient is overweight or obese also can help. Total knee replacement surgery is effective but is done only in cases where the disease is advanced and it’s medically necessary.
So, which treatment is best? To help sort out the choices, a group of researchers set out to assess how the available non-surgical drug treatments stack up against each other for providing pain relief and improving physical function. The authors did not address lifestyle changes, likeweight lossandexercise. The study was published recently inJournal of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons(JAAOS).
If you haveosteoarthritis (OA), you know all about joint pain and stiffness. One cause of these symptoms is the fact that hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring joint lubricant, breaks down in people with OA. To help alleviate the pain, your doctor might recommend treatment with hyaluronic acid injections – sometimes known as gel injections.
HA injections replace missing joint lubricant and are currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the knees. However, some doctors may use the injections in shoulders and hips as well.
The treatments will most likely take place in your doctor’s office. The HA will be injected directly into the joint. The shots are usually given once a week for three to five weeks, depending on the brand used.