Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Biological medicines are a newer type of medicine, used to ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and reduce the damaging effect of the disease on the joints. They are usually prescribed when you have tried the older more traditional types of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) but they have not worked well. If a biological medicine will work, you will usually feel better within 12 weeks of starting it. Biological medicines make you more prone to infections and sometimes damage the blood-producing cells. You should carry a biological therapy alert card with you at all times to ensure that doctors or nurses treating you know that you are taking a biological medicine and so are at increased risk of developing a serious infection.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Overview of Risk Factors, Symptoms and Diagnosis

Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation, pain, and swelling of joints. Persistent inflammation over time can damage affected joints. The severity can vary from mild to severe. Treatments include disease-modifying medicines to suppress inflammation, which can prevent or delay the progression of the disease, and medication to ease pain. The earlier treatment is started, the less joint damage is likely to occur. Surgery is needed in some cases if a joint becomes badly damaged.

Arthritis and Exercise: How Exercise Benefits The Different Forms Of Arthritis

Deaths from lack of exercise has been compared with deaths from cigarette smoking. See Lack of Exercise 'Killing As Many As Smoking'. Physical activity has an overarching benefit over and above the minor disadvantages that some forms of exercise may throw up. People with arthritis have been shown to benefit from a deliberate plan of physical exercise.

Osteoarthritis Treatment and Support

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful condition that can affect one or more joints. It involves loss of cartilage, often along with mild inflammation and changes to the bone closest to the joint (see image below), as well as weakness of muscles surrounding the joint. This results in pain, stiffness, and trouble easily moving the joint.

Osteoarthritis: Risk Factors, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Natural Course

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone. The most common symptoms are joint pain and stiffness. Usually the symptoms progress slowly over years. Initially they may occur only after exercise but can become constant over time. Other symptoms may include joint swelling, decreased range of motion, and, when the back is affected, weakness or numbness of the arms and legs.

Joint Aspiration

There are many reasons why your doctor may want to inject into or aspirate from your joint. Successful joint and soft tissue aspiration and injection partially rely on the skill and expertise of the doctor performing it. Access to ultrasound to enable better targeting of steroid injections may improve efficacy.

Neck, Shoulder and Back Pain: How to Protect Your Neck, Shoulder and Back While Working from Home

Many countries went into lockdown early this year, meaning that some of us have been working from home for several months. Have you found it hard to set up a comfortable workspace during the coronavirus lockdown? Or are you missing your standing desk or office chair whilst working from home?