Osteoarthritis

Although it is believed to help counteract joint and cartilage deterioration in osteoarthritis (OA), glucosamine supplementation is no more effective than placebo in preventing knee degeneration in patients with chronic knee pain.

Study results show that pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee often exhibits neuropathic pain characteristics.

Patients find it very attractive to self-select a variety of vitamins and supplements that promise to improve their immune system and combat obesity without any dangers or dependence on healthcare professionals, but these claims are just not true.

Honey bee venom is being used to treat pain for multiple sclerosis and osteoarthritis, according to a report from CBS News.

Expanding upon previous investigations of the associations among low vitamin D levels, chronic pain, and poor sleep within the general and non-pain populations, a research poster presented at the American Pain Society 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting suggests correcting inadequate vitamin D levels in middle-aged to older patients with knee osteoarthritis may reduce their clinical pain and improve sleep quality.

Researchers used a combination of stem cells, growth factors, and scaffold to grow human cartilage, which they hope will heal patients with osteoarthritis and other joint pain.

Patient-reported knee pain is associated with an osteoarthritis (OA) diagnosis, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has become a popular and generally successful surgery with increasing importance as Baby Boomers enter their golden years expecting to remain active and pain-free. However, straightening the knee from a fully bent position creates a clunk or crackle for up to 18% of TKA patients.

Osteoarthritis (OA) patients who experienced pain had brain mechanisms similar to fibromyalgia (FM) patients, according to a study published in the European Journal of Neuroscience.

Though different sets of treatment recommendations for knee osteoarthritis send conflicting messages to practicing physicians, James W. Atchison, DO, pointed out that the guidelines focus solely on the knee, while pain management specialists focus on the whole person.

New evidence-based consensus recommendations provide guidance for practitioners on non-surgical treatment options that are appropriate or inappropriate for knee osteoarthritis patients.

After identifying a research gap in work status before and after joint replacement, researchers from the Netherlands looked for data describing work status and time to return to work among patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

According to the authors of a recent study, almost 50% of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) say they have chronic pain, and over 75% of them rate it as being moderate to severe.

Although change in knee joint space narrowing depicted on radiographs is considered the gold standard for monitoring osteoarthritis progression and knee cartilage volume loss, the method doesn't account for extrusion of the medial meniscus, which new research suggests can better predict radiographic osteoarthritis change over time.

Though previous reports have described a link between vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) development, a trio of studies has now offered clinical support to the contrary belief.

Middle-aged adults who engage in up to two and a half hours of moderate physical activity aren't at an increased risk of developing knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Does arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for symptomatic patients with a meniscal tear and knee osteoarthritis results in better functional outcomes than physical therapy?

In one study, 49% of participants with diabetes had osteoarthritis compared with 26% of participants without diabetes.

The nutritional supplements glucosamine and chondroitin have demonstrated some potential for reducing pain associated with osteoarthritis.

A meta-analysis provides evidence that hyaluronic acid injections improve pain symptoms and function in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Review of the literature finds that although zoledronate and alendronate may have some potential for effective pain management in patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis, overall there is limited evidence supporting the use of bisphosphonates to treat OA pain.

From full-motion video demonstrations of orthopedic clinical tests to suites of disease activity score calculators, these apps for Google and Apple mobile devices provide rheumatologists with useful and easy-to-access information at crucial moments in diagnosis and treatment.

As more than 60 percent of women with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) also exhibit abdominal pain consistent with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, two researchers in the neural and pain sciences department of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, in Baltimore, have developed a model to better illustrate the two conditions' comorbidity.

Sports medicine clinicians from the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), in New York City, report that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections improve joint pain and function in patients with osteoarthritis, a leading cause of disability that affects more than 47 million people in the United States.

News on new therapies for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, prescription drug monitoring programs, post-operative opioid use, the cost of chronic pain, and other developments in the field of pain management.

Non-surgical management options for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee include low-impact exercise, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatories.

A look at arthritis statistics, including the estimated number of US adults with rheumatoid arthritis, the number of children in the US under age 18 diagnosed with arthritis, the number of new drugs/indications/formulations to treat arthritis approved by the FDA in 2011, and more.

Norris describes the recent history and current activities of the Montana Pain Initiative, a "grassroots, interdisciplinary organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of Montanans with pain by removing barriers to effective pain assessment and management through research, education, and advocacy."

Gillian Hawker, MD, MSc, FRCPC, a practicing rheumatologist and clinical researcher, discusses the importance of standardized pain assessment in patients with arthritis, reviews clinically useful pain measures, and offers advice to clinicians on evaluating chronic arthritis pain. Dr. Hawker recently authored a chapter, "Measures of Adult Pain", that was included in a special issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

Several studies indicate there may be an increased risk of falls and fractures associated with the use of narcotic analgesics in elderly patients.