All Arthritis Articles

QUESTION: My neighbor swears by apple cider vinegar, and every time I complain about my health, she rants about the vinegar. I haven't tried it, but I have to say she looks fairly healthy and never gets sick. Do you think there's something to it? ANSWER: Vinegar has been used for centuries for many purposes including cleaning, killing weeds and pickling. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is sold as a Read more...

Here's another reason to add cycling, squats or lunges to your exercise routine. A new study by researchers at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics found that women with the strongest quadracps muscles appeared to be protected against the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Interestingly, thigh muscle strength wasn't found to predict the occurrence of OA of the knee as shown in Read more...

Glucosamine may not help to prevent joint damage in osteoarthritis of the knee, according to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. Osteoarthritis, or OA as it is commonly called, is the most common joint disease affecting middle-aged and older people. It is characterized by progressive damage to the joint cartilage-the Read more...

Here’s another good reason to lose even a moderate amount of weight: it could reduce your risk of developing osteoarthritis in your knees. People who are overweight and lose just 5 percent of their weight are less likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee, or knee OA, compared to people who gain weight, according to data from a large ongoing study by the Thurston Arthritis Research Read more...

A drunk man who smelled like beer sat down on a subway seat next to a priest. The man's tie was stained, his face was plastered with red lipstick, and a half-empty bottle of gin was sticking out of his torn coat pocket. He opened his newspaper and began reading. After a few minutes, the drunk man turned to the priest and asked, "Say, Father, what causes arthritis?" "My son, Read more...

QUESTION: Is there a benefit to hip resurfacing instead of hip replacement in surgery for painful hip arthritis? ANSWER: Theoretically, resurfacing the worn out ball-and-socket joint of the arthritic hip with metal shells seems like a good "conservative" idea, avoiding throwing away the ball (femoral head) as done in a hip replacement, possibly withstanding running and jumping Read more...

Rocksprings, Texas, resident Henry Greistmann, 67, recently went to his doctor for a check on his ears. When he told the doctor he got dizzy when he looked up at the ceiling, he was sent to a balance and dizziness clinic hosted by four local physicians. The clinic, held every other Wednesday, pulls the expertise of a local audiologist, Jeff Sirianni; internal medicine specialist, Michael Read more...

Flummoxed for years by pill packaging that causes flesh wounds and frustration, fed-up consumers are pressing companies for less painful ways to open their medicines. The changes come as the industry that grew up around making packages and medication bottles ultra-child-resistant faces criticism for making them too impenetrable -- not just for the elderly, arthritis sufferers and the disabled, Read more...

U.S. scientists studying mice have found a deficiency of a certain type of collagen causes osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease. The Duke University Medical Center researchers said they found mice with their Type IX collagen gene inactivated prematurely developed the common and chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Both diseases cause joint pain and loss of function. The scientists, Read more...

Patients suffered fewer rheumatoid arthritis symptoms when their gum disease was treated, U.S. researchers found. The study, published in the Journal of Periodontology, found treating gum disease was linked with reduced joint pain, fewer swollen joints and less morning stiffness in patients suffering from a severe form of rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers from Case Western Reserve Read more...

QUESTION: I have painful arthritis (psoriatic) and I heard on the news that my medicine can cause cancer. I am afraid of it being recalled because I need my Enbrel. ANSWER: Currently, the FDA has not recalled any of the controversial drugs, they have just asked manufacturers to strengthen warnings about the potential dangers. Some studies point to an association with cancer, others do not, so Read more...

Treating depression in women with rheumatoid arthritis may improve sleep as well as lessen pain and improve medication use, U.S. researchers said. Results indicate that length of time since rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, level of pain, depression symptoms and adherence to medications for rheumatoid arthritis may cause women suffering from the disease to Read more...

Researchers in Russia say they found stress events often preceded the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Tatiana Lisitsyna of the State Institute of Rheumatology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences in Moscow also found 63 percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis also suffered psychiatric disorder -- 87 percent of these were depressive disorders. The study presented at the annual Read more...

Researchers in Australia conducted a systematic review of Tai Chi studies and found it produces positive effects in those suffering from arthritis. Tai Chi is a form of exercise regularly practiced in China for general health purposes but has increasing popularity in North America and Australia. It is usually incorporated into people's daily activities and preformed in a group, but can also Read more...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a total ankle replacement system for arthritic or deformed ankles that may preserve some range of motion. The federal agency said the new prosthesis, the first of its type, is a mobile-bearing device, which relies on bearings that move across a surface of polyethylene, a flexible plastic. Once arthritis or injury destroys the cartilage Read more...

U.S. scientists say they've determined how the human body differentiates various kinds of pain, overturning what has been conventional wisdom. Scientists from the California Institute of Technology and the University of California-San Francisco say they've shown how different sensory neurons -- called nociceptors -- respond to different kinds of pain stimuli. "Conventional wisdom was Read more...

A lot of baby boomers are already feeling the aches and pains of arthritis and the problem will only get worse, with the disease now ranked the No. 1 cause of disability in this country. The growth of the potentially debilitating disease was revealed in a press conference by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Washington. The event included a Wallingford woman who, despite Read more...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has approved Simponi, a monthly injectable treatment for three types of arthritis. The FDA said Simponi (golimumab) was approved for use by adults with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, active psoriatic arthritis and active ankylosing spondylitis. All three conditions are chronic disorders in which the immune system attacks multiple joints, Read more...

QUESTION: I have arthritis in both knees. I'd exercise, but I'm afraid of making the knees worse than they are now. My neighbor is into water exercise, and she says it would be the perfect exercise for me. Do you agree?   ANSWER: Water exercises are excellent for people with arthritic hips and knees -- and also for people without arthritis. Water buoyancy removes stresses on the knees and Read more...

Every week, it seems, new research on alcohol is published. One study promotes drinking to help reduce heart disease. Another discovers that alcohol increases your cancer risk. What's a health conscious American to do? "For many, moderate intake can raise good cholesterol and reduce blood clotting, which can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke and possibly for type 2 diabetes," Read more...