The study was a small one, only 45 subjects, so more trials will need to be done, larger ones, to see if the same findings come up, but this study is a good start into examining the effect of copper bracelets or magnets as pain treatment.

According to a press release from the University of York,

The trial involved 45 people aged 50 or over, who were all diagnosed as suffering from osteoarthritis. Each participant wore four devices in a random order over a 16-week period – two wrist straps with differing levels of magnetism, a demagnetised wrist strap and a copper bracelet.

The study revealed no meaningful difference between the devices in terms of their effects on pain, stiffness and physical function.

The authors wrote that any effect that came from the bracelets were likely a placebo effect. Of course, if someone gets relief from such a thing, then this isn’t always a bad thing. The worry is though, that unscrupulous sellers may pressure someone to buy an expensive product, especially if they are desperate to ease the pain.

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Image: iStock.com

Post from: Blisstree

Osteoarthritis? Forget the Copper & Magnets

The professional groups of the various specialities are constantly reviewing and upgrading their recommended guidelines as research provides more information and results from studies. Sometimes, this adds to the possible options and other times, it removes some options because studies have found that the treatments aren’t as effective as originally thought or may be harmful.

In this case, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons have reviewed and changed their guidelines for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.

One treatment involves “washing out” the knee joint, called lavage. The surgeon injects a fluid into the joint to wash it out. While this may still be appropriate if there are pieces of tissue or tears in the tissue, for the arthritis itself, there doesn’t seem to be an benefit.

The writing group also recommended against arthroscopy with debridement or lavage, noting that evidence suggested its effects “were not statistically significant on the vast majority of patient-oriented outcome measures for pain and function.”

After reviewing several studies, the committee drawing up the guidelines also found that the more frequently recommended treatments such as special inserts in your shoes (orthotics) and using glucosamine and chondroitin didn’t make any difference in relieving pain or discomfort for knee osteoarthritis.

What do the guidelines recommend?

Weight loss for patients who are overweight may play a large role in helping relieve pain.

Low-impact aerobic exercise

Pain relief with short-term acetaminophen and NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Patients should consult with their doctor about which over-the-counter medications to use because of other health issues that could play a role in drug absorption and side effects.

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Post from: Blisstree

Common Knee Procedure No Longer Recommended

According to an analysis of 21 national guidelines, 60 literature reviews and 300 current randomized clinical trials done on various treatments for osteoarthritis, many don’t work and some may be dangerous. Some medications, called anti-rheumatic drugs, are prescribed for osteoarthritis but they don’t work and they have serious side effects. One of the most notable side effects is gastrointestinal bleeding, or bleeding in the gastrointestinal system.

So, if you have osteoarthritis, discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor to be sure you’re getting the best possible treatment for you.

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Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, osteoarthritis

Post from: Blisstree

Most osteoarthritis treatments don’t work, say researchers

Glucosamine

A new study has found though, that after 2 years of taking the dietary supplements, patients showed no improvement over those who took placebos. The results were published in the most recent edition of Arthritis & Rheumatism. An estimated 21 million people in the United States have osteoarthritis.

An earlier study, published in 2006 in the New England Journal of Medicine, reported that patients taking glucosamine  didn’t have any less pain that those who took placebo, although there was significant pain relief among patients who took glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.

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Image: iStock

Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, nutritional supplements, osteoarthritis, dietary supplements for arthritis, arthritis relief

Post from: Blisstree

You may be wasting your money on supplements for athritis relief

According to a press release issued yesterday “An occupational therapist-led approach – called activity strategy training – could provide patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis the opportunity to lead more active lives and even improve their overall health, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Michigan Health System.”

The training involved having occupational therapists teach patients about joint protection, proper body mechanics, activity pacing, and environmental barriers. The patients were taught specific techniques for walking on different terrains (in the house or outside) and different types of movements, such as getting in and out of cars.

Two groups participated in a structured exercise program. One group received the activity strategy training, the other didn’t. Those who received the training ended up with an increase in the intensity of  physical activity at the end of the study compared to those who received health education only.

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Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, living with chronic pain, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, occupational therapy

Post from: Blisstree

Occupational therapy gets people with osteoarthritis moving

According to a study published in the most recent edition of the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism; pain signals originate in arthritic joints and are processed as they reach the spinal cord, where they worsen and expand arthritis. As well, the nerve pathways that carries the pain signals transfer inflammation from arthritic joints to the spine and back again, causing disease at both ends.

According to a press release issued by the University of Rochester Medical Center, "Technically, pain is a patient’s conscious realization of discomfort. Before that can happen, however, information must be carried along nerve cell pathways from say an injured knee to the pain processing centers in dorsal horns of the spinal cord, a process called nociception. The current study provides strong evidence that two-way, nociceptive "crosstalk" may first enable joint arthritis to transmit inflammation into the spinal cord and brain, and then to spread through the central nervous system (CNS) from one joint to another."

While this type of research may seem to be not too helpful for the general public, it is research like this that gives researchers something to work on, a goal to reach and a target for medications.

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Image: Newscom

Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, arhritis, pain process, nociceptive

Post from: Blisstree

What came first: the pain or the arthritis?

A study published in a recent issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research, researchers found that the risk of developing osteoarthritis over your lifetime increased with the body mass index (BMI). In fact, two thirds of people who are obese are predicted to develop osteoarthritis. After age, weight is the second most powerful predictor of the disease. This connection is also stronger in women than in men, but men are at risk as well.

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Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, osteoarthritis

Post from: Blisstree

Losing weight may reduce arthritis pain

This particular study was a review of 9 other studies done of people with osteoarthritis who participated in exercise programs. Some exercised with strengthening and/or aerobic programs on their own, some in swimming pools, while others at the gym. What the researchers found was that exercise did help manage pain. So, with this information, more doctors need to encourage their patients with osteoarthritis to exercise, even if it seems to them that this is impossible.

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Image: Newscom

Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, pain medications, osteoarthritis pain, hip osteoarthritis, exercise for osteoarthritis

Post from: Blisstree

Exercises useful in treating hip osteoarthritis

ONE IN TWO ADULTS AT RISK FOR PAINFUL KNEE ARTHRITIS
Arthritis Foundation Offers Prevention Tips

ATLANTA, September 3, 2008– A landmark government study suggests nearly one in two people (46%) will develop painful knee osteoarthritis over their lifetime, with the highest risk among those who are obese. According to the Arthritis Foundation, the study underscores the immediate need for the public to understand what they can do to reduce the tremendous pain, disability and cost associated with arthritis.

Arthritis is exploding in an aging population of U.S. baby boomers. Nearly one in five U.S. adults (46 million people) has arthritis and an estimated 67 million people will be affected by 2030.

Click here to read more.

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Image: Newscom

Tags: ostearthritis, osteoarthritis of the knee, arthritis, chronic pain blog, pain blog, chronic pain

Post from: Blisstree

Almost half of adults at risk of osteoarthritis in the knee

Imagine a pile of buttons on a table. Put a thread through the pile of buttons and hold the string taut. Those buttons are the vertebrae in your spine. Now, imagine the  thread being pulled towards you; the pile of buttons start to bend so one side – the one closest to you – is compressing one button on top of the other. The other side is opening wider as the pile bends away. This is very similar to what is happeing to the spine when kyphosis occurs.

Do you remember any adults telling you to stand up straight when you were a child? Hopefully you listened to them, because your posture can play a role on whether you develop kyphosis. If you’d like to learn more, head on over to Medical News Today: Preventing Kyphosis — A Hunched Back

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Tags: kyphosis, hunched back, vertebrae, chronic pain blog, pain blog

Post from: Blisstree

Hunchback – is there a way to prevent it?