Rheumatoid arthritis

What is a normal rheumatoid factor level?

The normal range of rheumatoid factors in the blood is less than 14 iu/ml. Any values above 14 iu/ml suggest abnormal results, and the person might have rheumatoid arthritis, internal tissue injury, high levels of rheumatoid factor in the blood are most often related to autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and sjogren syndrome. But rheumatoid factor may be detected in some healthy people.

Revised criteria for the classification of rheumatoid arthritis (ra) :

The new criteria are as follows:

1. Morning stiffness in and around joints lasting at least 1 hour before maximal improvement;
2. Soft tissue swelling (arthritis) of 3 or more joint areas observed by a physician;
3. Swelling (arthritis) of the proximal interphalangeal, metacarpophalangeal, or wrist joints;
4. Symmetric swelling (arthritis);
5. Rheumatoid nodules;
6. The presence of rheumatoid factor; and
7. Radiographic erosions and/or particular osteopenia in hand and/or wrist joints.

Criteria 1 throu

Cooled Radio frequency treatment has is newer and advance treatment for Knee pain. It is an alternative for those suffering from chronic knee pain secondary to various reasons such as osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease and persisting pain after knee replacement. It offers a safe, effective non surgical, minimally invasive alternative to knee replacement for patients who are either Not keen on surgery or Not fit for surgery due to other medical problems or Have persisting pain after knee replacement. It is a day care procedure performed under local anaesthesia. This procedure can also be used for sacroiliac joint pain as in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and for low back pain secondary to facet joint arthritis. Advantages of this procedure include

• No requirement for hospital stay
• Normal activities can generally be resumed soon after the procedure
• Less pain can lead to improved functionality and reduced medication requirements
• Lasting pain relief for and has a low complication rate

Migraine is a complex condition with a wide variety of  symptoms. For many people the main feature is a painful headache. Other symptoms include disturbed vision, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, feeling sick and vomiting. Migraine attacks can be very frightening and may result in you having to lie still for several hours. Essential Oils serve as headache treatments because they safely and effectively treat the headache trigger, getting to the root of the problem instead of minimizing the pain temporarily. Plus, when using essential oils for headaches, there are no nasty side effects and you are in complete control of your dose,adjusting it for the type of headache you experience. Here are few ESSENTIAL OILS that can help in pain relief: Rosemary Oil: Rosemary oil has powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain killing) properties. It’s been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years for stress reduction, pain relief, and improved circulation, which can all help headaches. One study even found that rosemary oil helped with withdrawal symptoms. It also helps reduce insomnia and relax muscles, which can help with headaches. Lavender Oil: Lavender essential

Arthritis is a group of painful and degenerative conditions marked by inflammation in the joints that causes stiffness and pain. Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, gets worse with age and is caused by wear and tear over the years. Doctors traditionally treat arthritis with anti-inflammatory medications and painkillers. However, some medications cause side effects, and a natural approach to pain relief is becoming more popular. Remember to consult your doctor before trying these natural remedies. 1.Hot and cold therapy: Simple hot nad cold therapy can make a world of difference  when it comes to artritis pain. Long hot showers or baths escpecially in the mornings, helps ease stiffness in your joints. Use an electric blanket or moist heating pad to keep your joints loose Cold treatments are best for relieving  joint pain, swelling, and inflammation. Wrap a gel ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables in a towel and apply it to painful joints for quick relief. 2.Include the right fatty acids in your diet: Everyone needs omega-3 fatty acids in their diet for optimum health. These fats also help your arthritis. Fish oil supplements, which are high in omega-3s, have been shown to reduce joint stiffness and pain. Another fatty acid that can help is gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA. It’s found in the seeds of certain plants such as evenin

Misconceptions about chronic pain can do harm to people with legitimate medical problems. Patients with chronic pain can and should be treated. Dispelling these damaging myths should raise awareness and encourage more people to seek help with a professional trained in treating chronic pain.

Myth 1.The side effects of opiate painkillers turn people into zombies and can stop their breathing.

Fact: Most side effects are mild, tolerable, treatable, occur at the beginning of therapy, and fade with time. Common side effects include constipation, drowsiness, and dry mouth. Careful adjustment of dosages and attention to patient concerns help alleviate most side effects.

Myth 2.Ignoring the pain will make it go away.

Fact: In most cases, ignoring ongoing pain will not make it go away, and it may even get worse. It is better to seek help from a caring, experienced specialist when pain persists and becomes a problem.

Myth 3.People who take powerful opiate (“narcotic”) pain medication become drug addicts.

Fact: Opiates are highly effective for ma

First and foremost, Pain is a very sensitive topic and quite a common issue as well. We all suffer from some kind of pain… sometimes it’s short term… and sometimes it’s impossible to get rid of… Well If you are already in a lot of pain you should not ignore it and go for proper treatment… For now we can talk about how to avoid pain or can minimize it to a certain level…. Here are 4 ways to beat the pain in Heat!! Avoid Pain Trigger Foods- If you are suffering from migraine or neuralgic pain you should avoid eating certain types of food like spices, excessive salt, caffeine, cola, are known pain triggers, its better to avoid these in this season. Drink lots of water- We all know Water is such a substance which helps in curing a lot of diseases. So why not pain. It’s very essential to keep our body hydrated. Summer heat removes necessary fluids from our body, so its important for us to drink at least 3-4lts of water daily. Water prevents joint pain and cramps. Not only that we should stay away from alcohol, coffee or anything else which promotes dehydration. Exercise within limits- It’s always recommended to do some exercise if you are suffering from pain. But anything more than a certain limit is dangerous especially in summers. So it will be preferred if one can exercise indoors in a cool place rather than und

TIPS TO HEALTIER BACK-Dr Krishna Poddar

• Sit in a high-back chair with arm rests. Sitting in a soft couch or chair will tend to make you round your back and won’t support the hollow of your back.
• At work, adjust your chair height and work station so you can sit up close to your work and tilt it up at you. Rest your elbows and arms on your chair or desk, keeping your shoulders relaxed.
• When sitting in a chair that rolls and pivots, don’t twist at the waist while sitting. Instead, turn your whole body.
• When standing up from the sitting position, move to the front of the seat of your chair. Stand up by straightening your legs. Avoid bending forward at your waist. Immediately stretch your back by doing 10 standing backbends.

Driving

• Use a back support (lumbar roll) while sitting or driving in the car.
• Move the seat close to the steering wheel to support the hollow of your b

Advanced Pain Management for Cancer Pain. It was historic day for Kolkata and Bellevue hospital as the first Morphine Pump Implantation was performed in a patient with severe intractable cancer pain. This is an advanced pain management therapy being used in developed country like USA for treating the pain and suffering of patient with intractable benign and cancer pain. who do not respond to any other treatment. This therapy involves implantation of a programmable pump in the bodt directly into the spinal cord & thus provides immediate and complete pain relief.

Advanced Pain Management for Migraine. 52 Years old patient suffering with Migraine for 30 years .He tried many treatment with no benefit.Migraine was hampering his day to day life, not able to do his profession.Even he tried Botox injections 4-5 times giving him short term relief for 5-6 months.excessive use of Pain medicines affecting his kidney and liver and making him sleepy allthe day,

Patch it up

Transdermal patches can help in pain management. But there is not enough awareness about them in India, says Hemchhaya De.

You have heard of nicotine patches — those Band Aid-like strips that help people quit smoking. But those are just one variety of what is broadly known as transdermal patches. The latter play a crucial role in pain management in several parts of the world. But in India, doctors say, awareness of the use of transdermal patches in relieving pain is abysmally low. What’s more, these are not widely available in the country.

“Indian companies started manufacturing these patches only half a decade ago. But awareness is still quite low,” says Dr G.P. Dureja, director, Delhi Pain Management Centre, who started pain management services at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 1986.