Rheumatology

Cigarette smokers are much more likely to report having persistent musculoskeletal pain than nonsmokers, according to an American Pain Society (APS) study.

Spine surgery improves leg pain more than low back pain (LBP), according to findings of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT).

An analysis of subjects in the control arm of randomized trials about fibromyalgia shows that people with the disorder are unusually prone to adverse effects that lead to treatment discontinuation.

Chondroitin sulfate significantly decreases pain and improves hand function in patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA), according to new research reported by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). The agent also improves grip strength and relieves morning stiffness.

A new study has shown that MRI can identify and describe the features of gout.

A consensus group of primary care physicians has found that ordering images for low back pain and DXA scans for women younger than 65 are top contributors to the high cost of medical care.

Obesity, a strong risk factor for gout, is associated with an earlier age at gout onset. In addition, the risk of gout is increased with obesity in women as well as in men.

For persons with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), the combination of 3 of 4 predictors-poor footwear motion control properties, less usual pain, reduced ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, and reduced pain during a single-leg squat-increases the probability of showing marked improvement with foot orthoses

Physically demanding occupational tasks (eg, lifting heavy loads) and infections that required antibiotics are associated with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients with psoriasis.

Step-down and intensive combinations of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) probably are the most cost-effective strategies for patients with early, active rheumatoid arthritis.

Being overweight and reporting vigorous physical activity increase the risk of undergoing total joint replacement (TJR); severe osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common indicator for this procedure.

The medical marijuana debate isn't going away any time soon. See what our experts have to say about the latest information and tell us what you think.

A carefully designed prospective study finds the overall risk of dying after hip fracture greatest among women in their later 60s. But for the healthiest women over age 80, the first 3 months are perilous.

Close supervision by rheumatologists and the use of immunosuppressant drugs improve the survival of lupus patients with end-stage kidney disease.

A drug used by women with osteoporosis has been approved to prevent fractures in cancer patients treated with hormones. But recent studies show that silent fractures often exist even before the hormone therapy starts.

The medical marijuana debate isn't going away any time soon. See what our experts have to say about the latest information and tell us what you think.

Novartis has announced positive results in the first Phase III trial of ACZ885 (canakinumab) for patients with systematic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Research has found that the prevalence of hyperuricemia and gout in adult patients with sickle cell disease in France was not a clinical problem..

Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors used to treat rheumatoid arthritis have been linked to increased risk of skin cancer.

Many researchers are blaming the national obesity epidemic for causing a growing number of Americans contracting gout, a painful form of arthritis.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced positive results of a Phase 2a trial of its investigational JAK3 inhibitor VX-509 for rheumatoid arthritis.

Americans’ wallets are not the only things feeling the pinch these days. The American Pain Foundation (http://www.painfoundation.org) offers some startling statistics about pain.

Advanced MRI techniques may be used to detect subtle changes in joint cartilage microstructure, providing physicians with a diagnostic tool for finding key markers of early osteoarthritis (OA), according to researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center’s departments of orthopedic surgery and radiology.

Pain intensity ratings, pain location, and sensory and affective variables differ among patients who have acute low back pain (LBP) and those with chronic LBP, according to research reported in The Journal of Pain, the official journal of the American Pain Society (APS).

The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is high in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), according to research findings reported in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

The prevalence of gout in the United States has risen over the past 20 years and now affects 8.3 million Americans, or 4% of the population, according to a study reported in a recent issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, an American College of Rheumatology (ACR) publication.

Patients who are to receive treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome prefer to collaborate with their physician in decision making about their medical or surgical care.

Familiarity with metatarsalgia, an array of disorders that cause pain to the forefoot, enhances the clinician's ability to make the proper diagnosis.

Roughly a third of patients with low back pain also have neck pain. This study assessed correcting cervical disk displacements to reduces lower body pain and numbness.

A collaborative genetic project has unearthed a third genetic link to osteoarthritis. The gene regulates nerve growth factor, providing logic behind a treatment that has already been tested and found worthy.