Sunday February 7, 2010
Healthy immune cells should die after attacking a foreign invader, like a virus or bacteria. But in rheumatoid arthritis those cells don't die -- they live and cause havoc. The rogue immune cells are low in "Bim" -- the molecule that orders them to self-destruct, according to a study published in the February 2010 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
A researcher from Northwestern University was able to create an imitation of Bim. When the imitation molecule was injected into mice with rheumatoid arthritis, it floated undetected into the immune cells that had gone awry and caused them to self-destruct -- just the way it's supposed to happen. The molecule, nicknamed Casper the Ghost because it goes undetected and the Suicide Molecule because it causes cells to die, has only been tested on mice. But there are high hopes riding on Casper the Ghost -- hope that it may lead to a new path of treatment which could prevent rheumatoid arthritis as well as trigger remission of existing rheumatoid arthritis.
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Friday February 5, 2010
A tendon is a strong, flexible fibrous cord that attaches muscle to bone. Tendonitis, also spelled tendinitis, refers to inflammation of the tendons.
Tendonitis can be caused by severe injury but more often it is caused by repetitive minor injuries to the affected area. In certain conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis, thyroid disease or diabetes, tendonitis can occur without any trauma. Learn more about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of tendonitis in Tendonitis - Fast Facts.
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Tuesday February 2, 2010
When you married your spouse, your vows expressed that your union would hold strong "for better or worse" and "in sickness and health." Perhaps you already had arthritis when you married or perhaps the disease joined later. Either way, the disease has affected you. The physical limitations and emotional toll of living with those limitations is part of your reality.
Obviously, how much your life is impacted depends on the severity of your arthritis. It's quite possible arthritis has affected how often you can go out and socialize. It's also quite possible it has affected your ability to care for your household and family, at least at the level you would like to. Arthritis may have even affected your job and your earning power if you worked outside the home. And then ofcourse, there's the bigger topics like self-esteem and sexual intimacy.
While you focus on managing your arthritis, how is your spouse doing? TAKE OUR POLL: Does Your Arthritis Affect Your Spouse?
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Sunday January 31, 2010
Speed, when using a computer keyboard, was comparable between workers with rheumatoid arthritis and workers without rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. The study, published in the February issue of Arthritis Care & Research, also concluded that people trained in touch typing exhibited faster typing speeds than those using the old "hunt-and-peck" method of typing, regardless of impairment. It was found that rheumatoid arthritis workers had slightly impaired mouse skills though.
The number of workers who use computers rose 10% between 1993 and 2003. For workers with rheumatoid arthritis, any difficulties using a computer may come from problems with hand range of motion or hand strength. Previous studies have concluded that rheumatoid arthritis patients have higher rates of work disability, premature work cessation, and reduced work schedules. Focusing on hand function is the key to keeping those who work with computers productive.
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