Articles Index

What Are Autoimmune Diseases?

An autoimmune condition develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy body tissue. There are many autoimmune diseases including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis.

What Is Viscosupplementation?

Viscosupplementation involves intra-articular injections. These injections are for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.

What Is Your Sedrate?

A sedrate is a blood test which is often ordered for people with arthritis to check their level of inflammation.

What Is Pain?

There are two basic types of pain -- acute pain and chronic pain. Arthritis is chronic pain.

What Are Human Joints?

Human joints are where two bones come together, allowing for movement of the skeleton.

Arthritis

Arthritis is defined as inflammation of the joints, but there are over 100 conditions classified as types of arthritis.

What Are Pinched Nerves?

A brief explanation and fast facts about pinched nerves.

What Are Supplements?

A dietary supplement is a product that contains one or more dietary ingredients (including vitamins; minerals; herbs or other botanicals; amino acids; and other substances) or their constituents, and is intended to supplement the diet.

What Are Fibromyalgia Tender Points?

Tender points are specific places on the body that are exceptionally sensitive to touch in people with fibromyalgia. Tender points exist at nine bilateral muscle locations.

What Is the Placebo Effect?

The placebo effect is the measurable, observable, or felt improvement in health not attributable to treatment.

What Are Bisphosphonates?

Bisphosphonates are used to treat osteoporosis and bone pain from certain conditions such as metastatic breast cancer, multiple myeloma, and Paget's disease.

What Is Synovium?

An explanation of synovium and how it relates to arthritis.

What Is Pannus?

Pannus is proliferation of synovial tissue. Think of pannus as thickened synovium.

What Are B-cells?

A brief explanation and fast facts about B-cells.

What Are Antibodies?

A brief explanation and fast facts about antibodies.

What is Limited Range Of Motion?

Range of motion is the normal range of movement for a joint, specifically flexion and extension. Limited range of motion is a reduction in a joints normal range of movement.

What Is CPPD? (Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate Deposition Disease)

CPPD (calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition disease) is a type of arthritis caused by deposits of calcium phosphate crystals in joints. CPPD is also known as pseudogout.

What Is Crepitus?

Crepitus is a clinical symptom characterized by peculiar cracking. Crepitus may or may not be associated with pain in arthritis patients.

What Are TENS Units?

A brief explanation and fast facts about a TENS unit.

What Is a Rheumatologist?

A rheumatologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and related diseases.

What Is Your Gait?

Your gait is the manner in which you walk. Gait abnormalities are usually related to disease or deformity, such as those that can be caused by arthritis.

What is Tumor Necrosis Factor?

Tumor necrosis factor is a cytokine which is involved in the inflammatory process.

What is Systemic?

Systemic means related to or affecting the whole body.

What are NSAIDs?

NSAIDS are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat arthritis. NSAIDS work by blocking the enzyme involved in inflammation.

What is Euflexxa?

Euflexxa is one of the hyaluronates used in viscosupplementation. Euflexxa is indicated for the treatment of knee pain in osteoarthritis of the knee in patients who have failed to respond to more conservative therapy.