Ginger for pain relief? Maybe!
Ginger is now showing up in many supplements used for pain relief ... Pain Rx, Arthritis Rub, Minor Pain Relief, Gingerflex Natural Joint Pain Relief, and many others. (more…)
Review of pycnogenol studies says most too flawed to prove efficacy
The New York Times "Well" blog reports on research into pycnogenol, which is an extract from "French pine bark" that can be made into a supplement that users claim "strengthens cardiovascular systems and eases symptoms of chronic disorders like asthma, osteoarthritis and chronic venous insufficiency." (more…)
Study: Men treated more aggressively for knee pain from arthritis
ABC World News reported that when it comes to treatment for pain, "we heard today that women are often not treated the same way as men. Their complaints are ignored." (more…)
Healthy Fats? They Exist!
All fats shouldn't be treated equal. Your body craves certain "healthy" fats, which are unsaturated fats mostly found in plant-based foods. (more…)
Arthritis patients not getting enough exercise
The Los Angeles Times "Booster Shots" blog reports, "Regular exercise can be beneficial to people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but a study finds that two out of five people with the disease may not be active at all." (more…)
Milk powder may help prevent gout flares
MedPage Today reports, "Daily consumption of enriched skim milk powder could help prevent gout flares," according to a proof-of-concept study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. (more…)
For chronic neck pain, what’s the best treatment? Medicine? Exercise? A chiropractor?
When it comes to neck pain the best medicine is no medicine at all according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. (more…)
Diet, weight loss reduce knee joint pain in osteoarthritis patients
HealthDay reports, "A diet consisting of eight weeks of protein shakes and soup followed by adding low-calorie, high-protein foods can help people with knee osteoarthritis (knee OA) lose weight, which may lessen joint pain and improve their quality of life," according to a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (more…)
New treatment for tendon and joint problems
ABC World News reported, "There is a revolutionary new treatment for the wear and tear on joints that can come with exercise after 50." (more…)
Study finds new hip implants work no better than older models
HealthDay reports that "newer, metal-on-metal implants seem to be no more effective than older implants and may sometimes even be more problematic," according to a study published in BMJ. (more…)
If you have hypertension can you take NSAIDs?
Is it okay for patients with uncomplicated hypertension to take NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxyn, celecoxib, etc? (more…)
30% of SAMe supplements fail to pass testing
Dietary supplements containing SAMe (S-adenosyl-methionine) can be effective in treating osteoarthritis as well as depression and mood disorders, but only 7 out of ten SAM-e supplements recently selected for testing by ConsumerLab.com met all quality criteria. Furthermore, the cost of SAMe varied almost 6-fold ... with the most expensive product failing! (more…)
Study finds chondroitin improves pain and function in patients with arthritis
A prescription-grade formulation of chondroitin sulfate (Condrosulf) helped improve pain and function in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand, according to a single-center randomized study of 162 patients who had been suffering from OA for more than six years. (more…)
Two OTC drugs give better pain relief than one for osteoarthritis
A study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases shows that "combination treatment using ibuprofen plus acetaminophen provided better relief of chronic knee pain than acetaminophen alone." (more…)
Does Internet-based knee rehab work?
I often have patients ask if they can do their physical rehabilitation at home – either because it's too far to drive to physical therapy or too expensive. Some want home physical therapy with a therapist, some want to try to do it themselves. We've not really known if it would be effective for folks to "do it yourself" or not. Now we may have an answer. The Los Angeles Times' "Booster Shots" blog reported that Internet-based rehabilitation for patients who had knee replacement surgery proved as effective as traditional therapy sessions, according to a study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Researchers "compared a live, Internet-based rehabilitation program to a traditional one for 65 men and women who had recent knee replacement surgery" and found that "after…
Physical activity helps improve walking speed in those with osteoarthritis
MedPage Today reported that, according to a paper in Arthritis & Rheumatism, "increasing physical activity over two years can improve function and even walking speed among adults with osteoarthritis of the knee -- regardless of their level of activity." (more…)