News and Features Related to Arthritis

1. Enbrel Gets "Black Box" Warning
   

   May 1, 2008 -- The arthritis and psoriasis drug Enbrel now has a "black box" warning about the risk of serious infections that may lead to hospitalization or death. Enbrel is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and juvenile idiopathic ar

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2. Finding Dr. Right for Your Fibromyalgia
   

   Not every doctor understands fibromyalgia well -- yet it's critical to find one who is up to date on the latest fibromyalgia treatment and research. Wherever you live, you'll have to do some research to find a health care provider who is the best fit for you. Here's the good news: "It's easier now t

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3. Fibromyalgia Pain at Night
   

   Do you toss and turn at night because of fibromyalgia pain or discomfort? "People with fibromyalgia tend to have very disturbed sleep," says Doris Cope, MD, director of Pain Management at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "Even if they sleep 10 hours a night, they still feel fatigued,

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4. Treating Fibromyalgia Pain: Medication Options
   

   If you have fibromyalgia pain, hang in there -- pain relief is possible. Today doctors have better insight into fibromyalgia, and are using many types of medications to treat its symptoms. Antidepressants, anticonvulsants, narcolepsy drugs, pain relievers, sleep aids -- all these medications work wi

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5. Water Exercise for Fibromyalgia: Easing Deep Muscle Pain
   

   If you have fibromyalgia pain, you're likely clenching right now. "Clenching is an involuntary reaction to stress," says Doris Cope, MD, director of Pain Management at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "People tense their muscles, and probably don't even realize they're doing it. That red

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6. Alternative Treatments for Fibromyalgia
   

   To get relief from fibromyalgia pain, more and more people are trying alternative treatments. It's often instinctive -- putting an icepack on a painful spot or reaching for the heating pad when muscles hurt. Or it feels good – like a massage. Even acupuncture is becoming a mainstream pain treatment,

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7. Antsy Rheumatoid Arthritis Antidote?
   

   April 24, 2008 -- Will rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis meet their match in a certain type of Chinese ant? The Chinese ant Polyrhacis lamellidens has painkilling and anti-inflammatory properties and is used in Chinese folk medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis, Chinese and Japanese

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8. Hip and Knee Replacements on the Rise
   

   April 17, 2008 -- The number of hip and knee replacements performed in the U.S. could skyrocket in the next seven years, researchers warn, placing an enormous burden on America's already beleaguered health care system. An increase in obesity and arthritis -- combined with a larger elderly population

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9. FDA OKs Orencia for Juvenile Arthritis
   

   April 10, 2008 -- Children ages 6 and older living with a moderate to severe form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) have a new treatment option. The FDA approved the drug Orencia for pediatric patients after a large study showed that those who received the medication had significantly fewer sym

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10. Scientists Search For Rheumatoid Arthritis Genes
    

    After a half-dozen pint-sized robots organize genetic material onto plates and feed it into computers, Peter K. Gregersen, MD, painstakingly mines the data, hoping to discover the unique genes that make some people more susceptible to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Gregersen, head of the Feinstein Insti

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