Arthritis Around the Web articles

MSNBC: Almost half of Americans facing knee arthritis

MSNBC reports that rising obesity rates are behind an increase in the painful condition.

NY Times: Living better with RA

The New York Times profiles 52-year-old statistics professor Alan Moore, explaining how enrolling in a clinical drug trial for Humira gave him his life back.

USA Today: FDA orders stronger warnings on four arthritis drugs

USA Today analyzes the government's statistics on death rates at hospitals nationwide -- allowing readers to display and compare the results side-by-side for the first time ever. The rates track three conditions -- heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia -- the so-called "yardsticks" of a hospital's overall performance.

USA Today: FDA orders stronger warnings on four arthritis drugs

USAToday reports that Enbrel, Remicade, Humira and Cimzia -- drugs that work by suppressing the immune system to keep it from attacking the body -- require stronger warnings. For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the medications provide relief from swollen and painful joints, but the immune repression needed can raise the risk of possibly fatal fungal infections, researchers say.

AOL Black Voices: Young dance star recounts her fight with rheumatoid arthritis

Many know Lumidee (nee Lumidee Cedeno) from her 2003 mega hit, 'Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh),' the infectious anthem she dropped at the tender age of 19. What many didn't know was that Lumidee had just had two hip replacements because of rheumatoid arthritis, which was diagnosed when she was 14.

NY Times Video: A Fibro Patient Reclaims Her Life

Being diagnosed with fibromyalgia did not stop Juliana Savino from living her life -- and learning to tap dance.

KABC-TV: New Web Site Exposes Parking Cheaters

Eyewitness News heard about a Web site called handicappedfraud.org, where people anonymously report suspected handicap parking placard violators.

NY Times: In ‘Sweetie’ and ‘Dear,’ a Hurt for the Elderly

Professionals call it "elderspeak," the sweetly belittling form of address that rankles older Americans.

NY Times: Kicking the Habit May Help Arthritis

People who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis may see an improvement in their condition if they quit smoking, a new study has found.

Science Daily: Rheumatoid Arthritis Rising Among Women

After four decades on the decline, rheumatoid arthritis is on the upswing among women in the United States. That's the finding presented by Mayo Clinic investigators at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals in San Francisco.

BBC Video: New Wheels for Police Dog

A police drugs dog who faced being put down because of arthritis has been given a special chariot to help him walk.

Herald Times: Arthritis at the Base of Your Thumb

Dr. Thomas Finnegan explains how this type of arthritis develops, what to look for when diagnosing, and possible treatments.

Wash. Post: 5 Myths About Our Ailing Health-Care System

With Congress ready to spend $700 billion to prop up the U.S. economy, enacting health-care reform may seem about as likely as the Dow hitting 10,000 again before the end of the year. But it may be more doable than you think, provided we dispel a few myths about how health care works and how much reform Americans are willing to stomach.

TIME: The Sorry State of American Health

By too many measures, America is a lot less healthy than a developed nation has any business being. But just how sick -- or just how well -- are we? Broad national averages are limited things -- very good at telling you the what, but notoriously bad at telling you much more. Who are the one-third of Americans who don't have a weight problem, and how can the rest of us become like them? Why do some of us get our cancer screenings and make sure our kids are vaccinated while others don't? It's hard enough to get a thorough profile of any one person's health outlook. Now imagine putting 300 million of us on the examining table together. That's where TIME's inaugural national health checkup can help.

Sydney Morning Herald: Dealing with Chronic Illnesses in the Workplace

To disclose or not to disclose? Those with chronic illness can find themselves in a quandary when deciding whether to discuss their health at work.

CNN: Companies That Will Hire You to Work at Home

With advances in technology, more people are able to link to work from their home computers or laptops. And as employees continue to crave flexibility and yearn for a better work/life balance, more people are working from home for at least part of their workweek.

Bixby Bulletin: Oklahoma Group Seeks Patients for New Clinical Trials

Researchers at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation are looking for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus patients to take part in studies of new treatments for the diseases.

AP: FDA advisers recommend approval of new gout drug

U.S. government health advisers Monday recommended approval of the first new drug in 40 years for gout, a painful joint disease that mainly strikes middle-aged men.

CNN: Robots That Fetch Help Disabled at Home

Scientists at the Center for Healthcare Robotics at Georgia Tech in Atlanta have created a robot capable of "seeing" and fetching -- potentially helping people in wheelchairs, the elderly and those with such diseases as arthritis and diabetes.

CNN: Jobs Going Begging in Some Fields

The Dow has been down, unemployment rates are soaring, and companies announce more layoffs each week. It may come as a surprise, then, that some employers are desperately searching for workers with the right skills.

CNNMoney: Where the Jobs Are

While layoffs are widespread, they are not across the board. Some industries are thriving -- and hiring.

CNN: Sick? Doctor's Busy? Here's Help

According to a 2007 Commonwealth Fund report, only 30 percent of patients who needed care were able to get a same-day appointment. Here are some insider tips from doctors about how to get an appointment when you really need one.

Health: Laid Off? You Have 62 Days to Get Health Coverage, So Here's What to Do

Make sure you know your health-insurance rights and options, because once you get that pink slip you have no time to lose. Here's what you need to do.

12 Tips to Ease Osteoarthritis Pain

With the help of some of the world's leading spine specialists, the American Arthritis Society has compiled 12 practical tips for self-care that are effective and easy to follow.

Indy Star: Turmeric May Lower Blood Pressure, Help Arthritis

A reader accidentally learned that turmeric could help reduce high blood pressure -- it went from 160/80 to 140/60 -- after eating an Indian meal of curry. So what is turmeric?

Health Central: Joint Pain is Increased in Breast Cancer Patients

Joint pain is more common and more severe in women with breast cancer than age-matched women without it, reported researchers at the 2008 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

WVTM-TV Video: U.S. Researchers Creating R.A. Database

Having this knowledge in hand will help researchers zero in on a cure. In addition, it will help rheumatologists better manage the illness in patients.

New Straits Times: More Than Skin-deep

Psoriasis patients may face a double blow – they are at risk of getting arthritis.

The Argus: Stems Cells Can Help Pets, Too

Millions of dogs suffer the aches and discomfort of arthritis. Now, cells derived from the pet's own fat may help bring relief to these afflicted pooches.

NY Times: The Pain May Be Real, but the Scan Is Deceiving

Scans — more sensitive and easily available than ever — are increasingly finding abnormalities that may not be the cause of the problem for which they are blamed.

UCB Awarding 30 RA-Related $10,000 Scholarships in 2009

Applications are now being accepted for patients diagnosed with RA or their immediate family members who are seeking an associate's, undergraduate, or graduate degree or are enrolled in a trade school educational program.

Chapel Hill News: When the Pain Won't Go Away

Living with rheumatoid arthritis means daily pain, but it's a challenge this mom has chosen to face head on.

CNN Video: Bionic knuckles help arthritis patient

New knuckle replacements are being made from a sturdy yet flexible material, similar to that used in space shuttles.

BusinessWeek: New Therapy Could Transform Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Modifying gene called Foxp3 may develop cells capable of suppressing immune response.

NY Times: Doctors Will Make Web Calls in Hawaii

American Well, a Web service that puts patients face-to-face with doctors online, will be introduced in Hawaii on January 15.

About: Low-Dose Aspirin and NSAIDs -- A Safe Combination?

Many patients taking low-dose aspirin for cardioprotective benefit are also prescribed NSAIDs such as ibuprofen to treat their arthritis pain. There are two potential drug interactions between aspirin and the NSAIDs.

MSNBC: Victory Over the Pain

Ten years ago, doctors diagnosed Lauren Tognazzini with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Now, the 20-year-old Cal Poly student has overcome the bounds of her disease to receive one of UCB's arthritis-related $10,000 scholarships.

About: Complication Tied to Bisphosphonates?

A class of drugs prescribed to treat bone conditions such as osteoporosis and Paget's disease of bone, bisphosphonates may cause osteonecrosis of the jaw, according to recent reports.

Lake County News-Sun: 'I had no idea what was wrong with me'

David Hartwig, 53, is withdrawing his bid for a village trustee seat because he doesn't have the energy -- he has ankylosing spondylitis.

Time: Study - A Simple Surgery Checklist Saves Lives

New research found that when surgical teams heeded a simple checklist -- as pilots do before takeoff -- patient-mortality rates were cut nearly in half and complications fell by more than a third.

Bloomberg: Gene Therapy Takes on Rheumatoid Arthritis

The first clinical test to find that gene therapy helps people with RA showed two women had less pain and reduced swelling in their hands after receiving the treatment.

LA Times: Seeing Osteoarthritis in Your Future

A pioneering radiologist is making it happen. Literally.

Akron Beacon Journal: For 12th Birthday, Kayla Receives Juvenile Arthritis Diagnosis

Her parents thought at the time their very active daughter (volleyball, dance, cheerleading, soccer, etc.) had pulled a muscle, which was accounting for the pain in her hip and thigh.

Newark Advocate: Retired Plumber Makes Arthritic-Friendly Guitars

When Michael Williams' arthritic hands had difficulty playing the guitar, he built a new instrument -- founding a new company along the way.

Telegraph: 'Arthritis Made My Body Crumble Like Pastry'

Alice Peterson, a former young tennis star turned novelist tells how her life was devastated by rheumatoid arthritis.

CFAH: No Proven Role for Diet in Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

Although RA sufferers have turned to a variety of special diets, a new review of 15 studies found little evidence that changing their diets made any significant difference.

About: Silicone Synovitis Remains a Consequence of Older Arthritis Surgeries

A Jan. 2009 study found complications for patients who received silicone joint prostheses -- common from the 1960s to 1980s.

Irish Times: Arthritis Ireland Launches New Helpline

The telephone line, manned by people who are themselves living with arthritis, is an entirely confidential service, open to anyone affected by the disease.

NY Times: Second Wind Blows for RA Tennis Champ

Wife / mother / worker / spy / rheumatoid arthritis patient Michelle Slatalla explains how one day an ostrich egg replaced her wrist.

Hopkins: Repeated Rituximab Treatments Futile For Some

Evidence shows that retreatment of initial rituximab non-responders is futile.  Patients are better served by a different course of action.

Hopkins: New Drug Approved to Treat Fibromyalgia

Some researchers believe that abnormalities in certain brain chemicals may be central to fibromyalgia -- and this new drug, Savella, works to block those chemicals.

Guardian: A Waste of Time for RA Patients?

Many herbal medicines and other complementary therapies do nothing to help people with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a report published Feb. 10.

Irish Times: Lessons on Juvenile Arthritis

"I am a primary school teacher and next year I will be having a pupil who has juvenile arthritis. Can you tell me something about this condition?"

About: Why Do Arthritis Patients Hate to Ask for Help?

You may be surprised to learn how many people hate to ask for help. Why won't they ask? What is it that holds them back?

Wash. Post: Rheumatoid Arthritis Hits Women Harder

RA might affect women more often and more severely than men, new research suggests.

Swainsboro News: Does Acupuncture Work for Arthritis?

"What can you tell me about acupuncture? I have osteoarthritis and am looking for an alternative solution to ease my joint pain."

NY Times: Noted Rater of Restaurants Brings Its Touch to Medicine

Nina Zagat, the queen of eat-and-tell restaurant guides, is invading a new and even trickier reviewing niche: doctors.

Time: How Faith Can Heal -- The Biology of Belief

A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that faith may indeed bring us health.

Time: When Coverage Determines How Much Pain You Feel

A study found that surgery patients on Workers' Compensation felt better and returned to work only 42% of the time, compared to 94% for those not on Worker's Comp.

El Paso Times: Arthritis Doesn't Stop This Athlete

Antonia Duryee, 68, became afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis in 1985 and her right knee soon started failing her.

Arthritis Friend: Arthritis Research and Prevention Act Included In Economic Stimulus Package

The stimulus bill includes approximately $140 million for the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Pensacola News Journal: A Teacher's Journey to Walk Chief

Alexandra Timmons was "blind-sided" at 28 years old when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

Fox Business: Study -- Cymbalta Significantly Reduces OA Knee Pain

In a new study, Cymbalta taken once daily reduced pain significantly -- compared with placebo -- in patients with osteoarthritis pain of the knee.

About: Hip Resurfacing or Hip Replacement?

Although it's becoming a more popular treatment option, hip resurfacing is not appropriate for all patients with hip arthritis, according to experts.

NY Times: Advice to the Jobless on Getting Health Coverage

Even if you can't afford the insurance your job once provided, you may still have options to guard against medical bills.

NY Times: For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Health Care

People in their 20s who lack insurance may try everything from self-diagnoses to borrowing medications.

MedPageToday: Anti-TNF Therapy Improves Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis

Pooled data from three clinical trials showed patients encountering 75% less PA-related flares and better pain management.

Baltimore Sun: A Beginner's Guide to Arthritis

Arthritis affects almost 80 percent of Americans. And those affected are getting younger.

MedGuru: Does Fish Oil Help Against Rheumatoid Arthritis?

A recent study suggests dietary changes can have a positive effect on the disease and might help ease its symptoms.

Time: The Health-Care Crisis Hits Home

Pat Tumulty learned that his kidneys were failing. Then he learned his insurance would cover nothing. Learn how his family fought back.

News-Journal: What is the Difference Between Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis?

A different look at these two forms of arthritis.

Danville News: Tai Chi -- Arthritis Fighter

A Pennsylvania Tai Chi class geared for arthritis leaves patients feeling less achy and more energized.

MSNBC: Even in a Recession, Some Companies are Hiring

Help wanted: pharmacists, engineers and nurses. Believe it or not, even some banks are hiring, at least for their technology teams.

CNN: No Health Insurance? Get Help Here

Lack of health insurance is "not a futile situation." Here's what to do.

AP: US on Short End of Health Care 'Value Gap'

If the global economy were a 100-yard dash, the U.S. would start 23 yards behind its closest competitors because of health care that costs too much and delivers too little.

CNN: Rise in Cell Phone-Only Homes Could Distort Health Tracking

The federal government and states often use the land-line phone surveys to set national health policies. In some states, 25 percent of homes are cell phone-only.

Infozine: Patients Suffer As a Result of Insurance Pricing Scheme

Some American insurance companies have begun implementing a new pricing system, forcing arthritis patients to shoulder much higher medical costs.

NY Times: Going Abroad to Find Affordable Health Care

Americans are traveling to other countries in search of affordable health care. Here’s some advice on how to avoid the pitfalls.

About: Transdermal Drug Patches Must Be Removed Before MRI

Used to manage arthritis pain, these patches can overheat during an MRI scan and cause skin burns.

Canwest: Everyday Tasks Can Be Excruciating for JIA Sufferers

As we see time and again, arthritis makes no age distinction.

Reuters: Study -- Vitamin C Wards Off Gout in Men

Men with a higher intake of vitamin C have a lower risk of developing gout, according to a recent report.

About: Deaths Reported Among RA Patients Treated With Actemra

Among 4,915 Actemra users, there have been 15 reported deaths and 221 cases of serious side effects. The rheumatoid arthritis patients received the drug intravenously between April 2006 and February 2009.

U.S. News: Scientists ID Biomarkers for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Biomarkers that can be detected before women develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been identified by U.S. researchers.

Time: Utilizing Available Resources

Millions of struggling Americans needlessly go without food stamps, low-income housing or health insurance -- even though they qualify. RealBenefits, a Boston-based software start-up, works to solve this.

NY Times: Online Age Quiz Is a Window for Drug Makers

RealAge, which promises to help shave years off your age, has become one of the most popular tests on the Internet.

WRTV: Walgreens To Offer Free Care To Uninsured

Drugstore operator Walgreens will offer free clinic visits to the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of the year.

CNN: Mom Stands Between Families and Homelessness

Using her home, Suezette Steinhardt shelters low-income families -- keeping them out of shelters and on a path to self-sufficiency.

NY Times: Doctors Are Opting Out of Medicare

Many people, just as they become eligible for Medicare, discover that the insurance rug has been pulled out from under them.

NY Times: Getting a Health Policy When You’re Already Sick

Until Congress overhauls American health insurance, consumers with pre-existing medical conditions must continue the struggle to obtain and keep medical coverage.

NY Times: When Medicine Makes You Fat

Sometimes drugs that heal your body can cause side effects that dampen your spirit. Loren Berlin writes about gaining weight as a result of a drug treatment.

NY Times: Do You Know What Your Doctor Is Talking About?

Recent studies have shown that almost half of all Americans have trouble obtaining, understanding or acting on information that is important to their health.

NY Times: Health Care Industry Moves Slowly Onto the Internet

For the health care industry -- a well-known laggard in information technology -- the direction is now clear. Only the pace of the shift to Internet computing is in question.

Boston: Hand and Wrist Repair Innovations

Although many problems associated with rheumatoid arthritis respond well to medication, those linked to osteoarthritis are increasingly being treated with surgery.

WSJ: Drug Makers, Hospitals Raise Prices

Hospitals and pharmaceutical companies have been pushing through hefty price increases aimed at bolstering earnings, even as government and private insurers are struggling to rein in healthcare costs.

Star-Ledger: How to Deal with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

The use of methotrexate in JRA is common and, although it may be scary because of its anticancer use, doesn't have many of the complications associated with chronic steroid use.

WTVQ: Arthritis Biologics

Biologic Response Modifiers work for about two-thirds of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and can lead to a remission of symptoms for many.

KARE: Exercising with Osteoarthritis

Exercise can actually reduce joint pain and stiffness, help to build strong muscle around the joints, and increases flexibility.

WLS: New Technique Helps Alleviate Osteoarthritis Pain

Doctors are using a new technique to stabilize joints and eliminate pain -- inserting a small spacer between the bones that instigates the regrowth of tissue.

Times Daily: Diet Impacts Few Forms of Arthritis

But gout and osteoarthritis flares can be attributed to the food we eat.

NY Times: Living Near a Highway Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis

The risk for RA is not large -- about 1 percent of the population -- but a new study suggests a surprising factor that seems to increase that risk: living near a highway.