Rheumatology

Pain is by far the leading reason why persons seek medical care, but pain education at North American medical schools is limited, variable, and often fragmentary, according to a Johns Hopkins University study.

Patients who receive walking skills training after total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis show improved physical function.

In patients with unilateral hip osteoarthritis (OA)-where the risk of progressive symptomatic OA developing in contralateral knees is higher than in ipsilateral knees-loading and structural asymmetries appear early in the disease course, while the knees are still asymptomatic.

Management of hyperuricemia in gout with a 2-stage approach based on the "dirty dish" hypothesis could be effective.

For patients who have osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee or hip, continuous treatment with celecoxib, 200 mg/d, is significantly more effective in preventing disease flares than intermittent treatment.

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), radiographic progression with nonbiologic treatment is minimal only when those in 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS 28) remission have no persistent residual joint swelling.

(AUDIO) Many persons worry that playing sports or working out regularly puts too much stress on the knees. Hear Dr Jeffrey Driban discuss new studies that suggest only certain sports, and certain levels of activity, predispose knees to osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, Mayo Clinic researchers have found.

(VIDEO) Orthopedic surgeon David Carmody discusses this poorly understood condition, a common cause of ankle pain among women that,if not treated promptly, can lead to serious deformity.

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle reports that a specially designed YMCA program ready to go nationwide eases the non-cancer problems that are common among cancer survivors, many of them musculoskeletal.

(AUDIO) With Vioxx removed from the market because of cardiovascular risks, many doctors have turned to treating chronic pain with narcotics. A new study shows that in the elderly this can increase the risk of falls. Listen to Lydia Rolita, MD, as she contemplates the best course of action in this matter of unintended consequences.

Treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis patients with tumor necrosis factor antagonists produces no reduction in the risk of acute coronary syndrome, researchers in Sweden have found.

The US Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review a New Drug Application for tofacitinib from Pfizer Inc.

Based on a 12-year longitudinal study, researchers have found that 63% of women over 50 report persistent, incident, or intermittent knee pain.

Ardea Biosciences announced on Monday that it would soon begin the first of four planned Phase 3 clinical trials of its experimental gout drug lesinurad.

A strictly controlled diet allowed obese knee osteoarthritis patients to lose weight while increasing levels of key nutrients and maintaining total bone mineral content and bone mineral density, researchers in Denmark have found.

Death rates are somewhat higher for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, especially from respiratory diseases, though incidence rates of malignancies are not significantly different from the general population, researchers at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, have discovered.

Soccer as well as elite long-distance running, weightlifting, and wrestling appear to increase one's risk of developing knee osteoarthritis, while other sports do not, a review of past studies finds.

Botulism toxins, already used to treat some nerve disorders as well as wrinkles in the form of Botox, can be re-engineered to potentially treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and psoriasis, a new study finds.

Gout is associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer, particularly prostate cancer in men, a recent study finds.

(VIDEO) Learn why injecting a steroid for tennis or golfer's elbow is an exception from the chief rule about injections into joints.

Data from a UK patient registry show that preoperative bisphosphonates substantially reduce the likelihood that a hip or knee replacement will wear away and need to be redone later.

Knee pain associated with osteoarthritis has increased dramatically over the last few decades independent of age and body mass index, though radiographic osteoarthritis has not increased, a new study finds.

Horizon Pharma announced last Tuesday that the FDA had accepted its new drug application for Lodotra, a delayed-release formulation of low-dose prednisone, for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in adults.

An overview of available pain questionnaires provides both clinicians and researchers with a quick reference for comparing and selecting the most appropriate adult pain assessment tool for their purpose.

The novel enzyme inhibitor combined with allopurinol demonstrated significantly better serum uric acid control than placebo plus allopurinol.

Physicians with a financial interest in medical imaging equipment appear to be more likely to refer patients for unnecessary lower back imaging exams, a new study finds.

A multicenter study of the rarely researched juvenile form of fibromyalgia confirms earlier evidence that children with chronic musculoskeletal pain can benefit from cognitive behavior therapy. Simply learning about their condition helped some, but the therapy was significantly better.

(VIDEO) Here orthopedic surgeon Bill Walter describes a systematic approach to the history and demonstrates a hands-on physical examination that can provide definitive evidence that surgery may be the best option.

A 42-year-old Hispanic woman with a past medical history of HIV infection and noncompliance with highly active antiretroviral therapy was admitted to the emergency department with a new-onset generalized tonic-clonic seizure episode, followed by Todd paralysis.