| |||
| |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Doc, My Tummy Aches and My Joints Hurt! Is there a connection?
Inflammatory disease of the bowel- regional enteritis (Crohn's disease) and ulcerative colitis- are often associated with arthritis. This occurs because inflammation in the bowel and the joints may share a common immunological abnormality. Patients can present with abdominal pain, weight loss, and diarrhea. Clinically, the arthritis that accompanies inflammatory bowel disease occurs in two different ways. The first pattern typically affects the larger joints of the lower extremities such as the ankles and knees. The heels may also be affected. Sometimes the fingers or toes can swell and look like little sausages. This type of "peripheral" arthritis occurs in about 20 per cent of patients who have inflammatory bowel disease. The activity of the arthritis parallels the gut activity. In the second type, the arthritis can affect the low back- the sacroiliac joints that join the pelvis to the lower spine. This type of arthritis occurs in about 15-20 per cent of inflammatory bowel patients. A genetic marker called HLA-B27 is present (found through a blood test) in 50 per cent of patients who have inflammation of the sacroiliac joints. Stiffness in the low back along with limited range of motion is seen. This type of arthritis does not parallel the gut activity. The diagnosis is usually suspected from the presence of bowel symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal cramping. Rarely, the arthritis may precede the bowel symptoms. The diagnosis is confirmed by laboratory testing, x-rays, bowel visualization (colonoscopy), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The treatment for the arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease is remarkably similar to that involving other types of arthritis. Typically anti-inflammatory drugs and disease-modifying drugs are both used. Anti-inflammatory drugs should be used with caution since they may cause the bowel disease to flare up. More recently, biologic drugs have been used with success to treat inflammatory bowel disease. The arthritis not surprisingly, also responds. Dr. Wei (pronounced "way") is a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of the nationally respected Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and has served as a consultant to the Arthritis Branch of the National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians. For more information on arthritis and related conditions, go to: http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Medicine - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Pain Relief Drugs 101 What You Need to Know Ever given a piece of thought to how actually one feels that a part of his/her body is paining? Majority of the response to this question will be in the negative. And ironically it is one piece of information that a person should be aware of. To Buy Pain Meds Online, a Dangerous Move Many people want to buy pain meds online simply because it is cheaper for them. Recently, thousands of online pharmacies have popped up offering for people to buy pain meds online without a prescription. NIH Official Altered Drug Study NIH Official Altered Drug StudyDr. Edmund Tramont, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Division of AIDS, altered the conclusions from a safety report on pregnant women taking the drug nevirapine in order to cover up its negative side effects. Online Pharmacies Are Becoming Increasingly Popular Due To Their Convenience And Discreetness Leading online pharmacy companies are providing consumer with a secure, safe, convenient, and discreet way to acquire prescriptions.People in need of prescriptions are turning to the internet for an alternative to the corner drug store. Exposing the Miracle Cure It was Saturday morning and while I was making breakfast, letting the cats outside, and watering my half-dead plants, I had the TV on. Saturday morning TV is usually composed of nothing but infomercials and today was no different. The Ease of Using a Motorized Wheelchair to Improve Mobility No person likes to feel housebound and dependent on others. While people who have been injured or suffering from a debilitating disease may not have full functionality of their motor skills, it is still possible for them to be semi-independent and mobile with motorized wheelchairs and other home medical equipment. Lipitor Side Effects Lipitor is a drug intended to help lower cholesterol. The generic name for this brand-name medication is atorvastatin. I Hurt All Over... How to Ease Away the Pain of Fibromyalgia! At one moment, a life of activity consumed with enjoyable activities like biking, golfing, going to the movies, out to dinner. Then one day, it's gone. Substance Abuse Attitude Testing by a Standardized Survey This is a short overview of a questionnaire used for substance abuse attitude testing in testing a CREATE (Curriculum Renewal and Evaluation of Addiction Training and Education) effects on Medical Students. My afterthoughts on substance abuse attitude testing are in the end of the article. Utah Drug Rehab: Searching For A Therapist Finding the right treatment for any person suffering with a drug abuse problem can be a difficult task - where do you start, how do you know what to look for, how do I find a good therapist or treatment center in my area? Thankfully, there are many resources to help you find the help that you or a loved one need - here are some tips to help you locate Utah drug rehab help.There are many online directories that compile records of qualified therapists and centers nationwide, and you can use these to find Utah drug rehab help by simply entering your particular location into their search engines. Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease With Lipitor and Pravachol Results of a new study comparing the effectiveness of Pfizer Inc.,'s Lipitor with Pravachol, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, was recently published in the New York Times. Interactive Technology in Healthcare Education Healthcare professionals are under pressure to remember, utilize and absorb vast amounts of new or changing information in increasing volume. This surge has led to new and improved computer-based tools for many healthcare activities and to an explosion in the marketplace of tools used in instruction and education of healthcare workers. Drug Abuse In Teens: Online Drug Abuse Identification Help Teen drug abuse is at an all time high, but not in the same way that most people might assume. Parents are accustomed to hearing about teens doing everything from huffing chemicals to smoking weed, popping ecstasy, and even injecting heroin. Taking The Sting Out Of Bug Bites (NC)-In most cases insect bites are harmless and if left alone, the irritation will subside within 48 hours.However, for some people, particularly children, scratching bites may lead to a highly contagious bacterial skin infection called impetigo. Online Pharmacy Watch: DEA Does Spring Cleaning Of Illegal Internet Pharmacies Since early 2004, it has become more apparent every day that the online pharmacy industry is being destroyed. Who is doing such damage to bring the industry crashing down, you ask? So far, the people responsible are savvy businessmen who are using their skills to create temporary safety nets for black-hat operations using loopholes in international security. Three Questions People Are Asking About Health Care in America Q. Why is there so may uninsured people in America?A. Every Pharmaceutical Drug LEECHES Nutrients From Your Body Are you currently on one or more pharmaceutical drugs? Perhaps you are not aware, but every pharmaceutical drug depletes the body of various nutrients, depriving your cells of the essential raw materials which drive normal, natural cell function. The data on our industrialized food supply already suggestes that each of us is not getting enough nutrition from diet alone. Ephedra Product Ban Ephedra is a naturally occuring herbal dietary supplement that has been marketed as a weight loss drug. The principal active ingredient is an amphetamine-like compound. Physicians, Chiropractors and Physical Therapist Agree on a New Treatment for Low Back Pain One of the most prevalent and difficult health conditions to treat in the physical medicine is low back pain. The difficulty in treating low back pain comes from the fact that there are numerous causes including herniated discs, bulging discs, degenerative discs, muscle spasms, facet arthritis, and sciatica. Lunesta Withdrawal Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a revolutionary sleep aid, Lunesta is the only medication approved by the FDA for long term treatment of insomnia symptoms.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
