David G. Borenstein, MD MACP MACR Having one illness is more than any patient wants to bear, but, often, patients may have more than one medical problem affecting their musculoskeletal system. In those circumstances, treating only one of those problems may explain why patients are not improving as much as they desire. This situation may […]
Angus B. Worthing, MD, FACP, FACR @AngusWorthing You may have heard that in the past few months, the Trump Administration has released preliminary ideas about reducing drug prices in the US through major changes in the various drug distribution systems (like Medicare Part B, the program for drugs patients receive in doctors’ offices). The administration […]
By: Justin Peng, MD,FACR
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and ls often referred to as degenerative disease because it is caused by the breakdown of cartilage. In a healthy joint, the ends of the bones are covered with smooth and healthy cartilage. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage in between the joint is worn away, causing narrowing of the joint and jagged, irregular spurs at the edges of bones, which can cause achiness, stiffness, soreness, and limited range of motion.
By: Jeffrey Potter, MD, FACR
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is characterized by pain limited functioning in those patients affected by it. The diagnosis is made using a combination of a patient’s symptoms, physical examination findings and plain film radiographs, or x-rays. Osteoarthritis can occur at any age but is more common in after middle age, and in patients that have previously injured the affected joint or who are overweight. Pain is typically worsened by activity or overuse and relieved by resting; many patients require medications to help relieve their symptoms.
Written By: Angus Worthing MD In case you missed it, a new kind of medicine recently arrived in rheumatology: the biosimilar. What exactly is a biosimilar? Well, you may know what biologics are – medicines that are given as injections or infusions for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and other autoimmune diseases that have been in use […]
Angus Worthing MD Greetings, Advocates! Great news for the rheumatology community came on February 9, 2018 as the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 was enacted. It contained several critical health care fixes. First, after hundreds of emails, meetings, letters to the editor, an op-ed and a forceful 109-member coalition letter led by the American College […]
By Nicole Thomas, MD, FACR Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. These bacteria are transmitted to you through the bite of an infected black-legged (deer) tick. There are three stages to Lyme infection.The first stage is called early localized disease. During this stage, symptoms include fever, chills, headaches, fatigue, […]
By Daniel El-Bogdadi, MD, FACR Osteoarthritis typically is thought of as a degenerative arthritis in which the joint space is gradually lost with little or no associated inflammation and erosions (loss of bone in the joint space). However, there is an aggressive subset of osteoarthritis that is associated with inflammation, erosions, and aggressive joint space […]
By: Dr. Angus Worthing MD, FACP, FACR Washington is back to work after the holiday recess and they’re busily trying to avoid a government shutdown on January 19. This week will likely see a short-term continuing resolution (“CR”) to keep the government running at current funding levels through mid-February. At some point, it would be great for Congress […]
By Justin Peng, MD, FACR Pneumococcal infections, including pneumonia, are a leading cause of hospitalizations, morbidity and mortality here in the U.S. There are many different types of pneumococci, but the most commonly identified cause of pneumonia hospitalizations in the U.S. is the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, also called pneumococcus. Vaccination against these organisms reduces the […]