Introduction Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a long-term, rheumatic disease characterized by inflammatory back pain (Khan, 2002). AS, previously known as Bechterew’s disease and Marie- Stümpell disease, is of unknown origin, but the dysfunction of immune mechanisms is believed to have a crucial role (Braun and van der Heijde 2007). This disease usually affects the sacroiliac joints and spine, leading to eventual fusion (ankylosing) of the involved joints (Khan 2002 and Zhang et al. 2003). This disease affects up to 0.1-1.1% of the Caucasian adult population worldwide. Patients with AS also show increased rates of work disability, unemployment (Boonen 2002), and higher mortality rates (Braun and Pincus 2002). Although the exact etiology of AS is unknown, HLA-B27, a rare allele of the HLA-B gene, is found in around 90% of patients with the disease indicating a strong genetic association(Khan 1995). 1-2% of individuals with the HLA-B27 genotype have developed the disease(1995). Erdesz et al. (1997) suggest that several B27 subtypes may be involved in pathogenesis of spondylitis. Tiwana et al. (2001) suggested that AS arises from a synergism between HLA-B27 and antigens of the Klebsiella bacterial genus. Sieper at al. (2011) then argued that the elimination of the prime nutrients of Klebsiella (starches) would decrease the presence of the antigen in the blood and improve the musculoskeletal symptoms. However, as Khan (2002) argues, evidence for a correlation between Klebsiella and AS is circumstantial so far. There is no cure for AS, although treatments and medications can reduce symptoms and pain (Williams et al. 2007). Symptoms appear gradually, starting at around 23 years of age (Feldtkeller et al. 2003). The treatment of AS c... ... middle of paper ... ...ated acute phase reactants seem to benefit mostly from continuous treatment with NSAIDs. This is the first study to show a possible disease modifying effect of continuous treatment, and warrants further investigation. Following a literature review, van den Berg et al. (2012) described how two studies showed that all NSAIDs have statistically significant moderate to good effects on AS disease activity and pain. Furthermore, no signs of toxicity from NSAIDs were found in this review. However, NSAIDs at certain dosages can cause an increased risk of Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. This bleeding can be lessened with the use of gasto-protective agents (Zochling et al 2005). Analgesics, such as paracetamol and opioids, may be considered for pain control in patients in whom NSAIDs are insufficient, contraindicated, and/or poorly tolerated (Lewis et al. 2002). .
There is no cure for ALS at this time and treatment is focused on management of the symptoms, involving a combination of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech, respiratory, and nutritional therapies. Moderate exercise may help maintain muscle strength and function. Drugs can also treat excessive saliva and drooling, and speech therapy can help compensate for loss of muscular control of the mouth. As the disease progresses and muscular degeneration spreads throughout the body, various devices may provide support, such as ankle braces, neck collars, reclining chairs, wheelchairs, and hospital beds. Respiratory support and feeding tubes are required when the person loses cont...
The range of medications from anti-inflammatory to opioids is extreme, and have different effects on the human body. Medical professionals have to make the decision whether to give a patient a lower grade pain management drug or a higher grade drug, and they are the ones who have to determine how much pain the patient truly is in when most of a patient 's pain in unseen to the physical eye. “Pain as a presenting complaint accounts for up to 70% of emergency department visits, making it the most common reason to seek health care. Often, it is the only reason patients seek care,” and with this knowledge health care professional need to treat each patient equally in the sense that they are the emergency room or a physician 's office for a reason, and that reason is to relieve the pain they are in (American College of Emergency Physicians Online). The article from the American College of Emergency Physicians continues on to say that, “it is the duty of health care providers to relieve pain and suffering. Therefore, all physicians must overcome their personal barriers to proper analgesic administration,” this is in regards to medical professional who are bias toward specific patients, such as “frequent flyers” or even patients of certain class standing; no matter what their patient may look like or be like they must be treated equally and
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory and an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s tissue (Rheumatoid arthritis, 2017). This disease affects the entire body, which is called a systemic (means entire body) disease. Arthritis is derived from the word part arthr-, which means “joint,” and -itis, which means “inflammation,” so altogether it means “inflammation of the joints.” It creates inflammation that causes the tissue that lines the inside of joints (synovium) to thicken. About 1.5 million people in the U.S. are affected. It affects all races, but it affects three times as many women than men (What is Rheumatoid Arthritis, n.d.). Overtime, rheumatoid arthritis causes painful swelling that can potentially result in bone erosion or joint deformity, which leads up to physical disabilities. RA can affect more than just your joints, but can spread to body systems, skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood vessels, e.t.c (Rheumatoid arthritis, 2017).
...cz-Towalska, O., Rzodkiewicz, P., Maslinska, D., Szukiewicz,D. & Maslinski, S. (2009) “Cryotherapy decreases histamine levels in the blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis”, Inflammation Research , 59(2), pp.253–255. ResearchGate [Online]. Available at http://www.researchgate.net/publication/40697605_Cryotherapy_decreases_histamine_levels_in_the_blood_of_patients_with_rheumatoid_arthritis (Accessed: 12th May 2014).
Whenever pain or a headache is felt people will immediately reach for the bottle of Aspirin they have in their medicine cabinet. For many years this has been the solution to any pain a person feels. As much as Aspirin will help to cure symptoms of pain it may also being doing the body harm. More and more studies have brought many harmful side effects to the surface. The question now comes into play of if Aspirin is actually doing more harm than good.
Opioids are used as pain relievers and although it does the job, there are adverse side effects. Opioids are frequently used in the medical field, allowing doctors to overprescribe their patients. The substance can be very addicting to the dosage being prescribed to the patient. Doctors are commonly prescribing opioids for patients who have mild, moderate, and severe pain. As the pain becomes more severe for the patient, the doctor is more likely to increase the dosage. The increasing dosages of the narcotics become highly addicting. Opioids should not be prescribed as pain killers, due to their highly addictive chemical composition, the detrimental effects on opioid dependent patients, the body, and on future adolescents. Frequently doctors have become carless which causes an upsurge of opioids being overprescribed.
It is still unknown what the cause of Rheumatoid Arthritis is but there are some theories that have not been proven. The oldest theory states that viruses and bacteria are the cause of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Now with all the research being done, scientists believe that Rheumatoid Arthritis is hereditary. Specific genes have been found to make people more likely to get Rheumatoid Arthritis. Some scientists also think that some environmental factors and infections might cause the immune system to attack. Contributing factors are smoking and being exposed to silica metal. So although the exact causes are unknown, the result is that the immune system is ready to make the joins and tissues inflamed by activating immune cells.
One major reason ALS is such a frightening disease is because no cure has been established. Although no effective treatment has been developed, a number of drug trials have been conducted, and there are some devices designed to help ALS patients maintain independence as well as safety as the disease progresses.
Hi I’m Mallorie, I’m 31 years old and this is My Arthritis Story. In the winter of 1995 at the age of 10 I came down with one of the many cases of strep throat. I started getting fevers and complaining of joint pain on a regular basis.
Several medications are available that may, in some individuals, improve symptoms or temporarily slow the disease progress, including: Cognex, Aricept, Exelon, and Reminyl. Other drugs are now being tested and could be marketed in the near future.
This topic came up recently to me because my grandmother was diagnosed with it. She could barely walk and could not do many little things like get out of bed, and tie her shoes. Since my mom is a physical therapist she knew what to do, but I didn’t really know what it was or how to help her. Most of the things I knew about “arthritis” was that it affects your bones, but this was much more than that. I also didn’t realize that it was Rheumatoid Arthritis not just normal arthritis,they are different because Rheumatoid Arthritis has to do with your joints unlike regular arthritis that has to do with the wear and tear of your bones. I wish I had known if I could prevent it or even if it is genetic and if I could develop it too. I also wanted to know what the symptoms were because all I knew about it was that she was in pain. I was scared she wasn’t going to live as long because she got this, so that is why I decided to write this paper.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ASL), Lou Gehrig’s disease, a brutal, unforgiving illness of the neurological system with no known cure.
The major concepts deduced from the hypothesis fall under three categories: (1) multimodal intervention, (2) attentive care, and (3) patient participation. Multimodal intervention includes the concepts of potent pain medication, pharmacological adjuvants, and non-pharmacological adjuvants. Attentive care relates to the assessment of pain and side effects and intervention along with reassessments. Patient participation includes goal setting and patient education. The resulting outcome of these three categories working together is the balance between analgesia and side effects.
Arthritis occurs when the body incorrectly identifies its own tissue as foreign matter and attacks it. Arthritis includes a set of more than eighty autoimmune diseases. Arthritis attacks connective tissues and joints. It causes stiffness, pain, inflammation, and swelling of the joints. Some kinds are crippling, but rarely leads to death. There are many different kinds of arthritis, the main ones being Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis; others include gout and ankylosing spodylitis.
... the case of autoimmunity, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis are but a few that the immune system failed to operate. When the immune system doesn’t work then modern medicine has to step in to help our body’s heel.