A Multidisciplinary Approach to Fibromyalgia
I have been working with fibromyalgia for the past fifteen years, leading a one-time group session called “Positive Coping Strategies for Fibromyalgia.” For many of the people that I have seen, this is the first time that they have had a chance to sit with other people who also have the diagnosis of fibromyalgia, and […]
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a diffuse musculoskeletal pain disorder with unknown cause. Several factors contribute to its development, including genetic predisposition in combination with physical and emotional stressors. It was first described inFranceandEnglandin the mid-nineteenth century and it was termed “fibrositis.” Upon reviewing muscle biopsies of patients affected with the condition, the term was changed to “fibromyalgia,” […]
Biologic Therapy in Rheumatic Diseases
A biologic drug is a drug used to treat diseases, such as rheumatic disease, in which there is a dysfunctional immune system. It modifies the biologic response in a disease state and is therefore named “biologic therapy.” These drugs have greatly modified the way rheumatologists treat rheumatic patients, improving the patients’ prognoses and outcomes. In […]
Remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis
The ultimate goal of treating rheumatoid arthritis is achieving remission. The American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism – organizations created by physicians for the study, research, and education of rheumatic diseases – define “remission” in clinical practice as the patient having all of the following: Tender joints < 1 (one or less) Swollen […]
Infusion Services by Tashina Coleman, RN
The infusion center is the part of the clinic where I give patients intravenous (IV) infusions and subcutaneous injections. The IV infusions include: infliximab (Remicade), abatacept (Orencia), zoledronic acid (Reclast), rituximab (Rituxan), tocilizumab (Actemra), belimumab (Benlysta), and ibandronate sodium (Boniva). One of the subcutaneous injections I give is denosumab (Prolia); I also demonstrate and teach […]
Rheumatoid Arthritis – What Is It?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease in which the immune system does not function in its usual way and destroys joints, including the cartilage and bone. The cause of this disease is unknown, although it is thought that in a person with a family history of RA, an insult such as infection may trigger the […]
Methotrexate In Rheumatic Diseases
Methotrexate in rheumatic diseases. Methotrexate is a medicine used to suppress the immune system. When the immune system is not working properly, it can cause diseases. It has been used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis since the 1980s. It is believed that Methotrexate increases adenosine – a substance that inhibits inflammation – in the […]
What’s Up With The “Osteo” Diseases?
Two frequent diseases that are commonly confused with one another are osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease due to multiple factors, including local inflammation, mechanical forces (use of the joints), genectic predisposition, and cellular dysfunction of the components of the joint. Osteoarthritis commonly affects the hands, shoulders, knees, hips, neck, and low […]
What Is Lupus
Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disorder where the body produces antibodies against itself. Antibodies are proteins that are usually produced by the body to attack foreign things, such as bacteria and viruses. But in lupus, the antibodies (or autoantibodies) attack the cells of the body. This ‘attack’ causes the variety of […]