Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2004
Reports of joint instability in knee osteoarthritis: its prevalence and relationship to physical function.
To report the prevalence and relationship of self-reported knee instability to physical function in a sample of subjects with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and to discuss the implications of these observations for rehabilitation. ⋯ The results indicate that a substantial proportion of individuals with knee OA report episodes of knee instability during activities of daily living, and instability affects physical function beyond that which can be explained by contributions from other impairments such as knee pain, range of motion, and quadriceps strength. Knee instability is a problem that should be specifically addressed in rehabilitation programs and may require interventions beyond those that address pain, joint motion, and muscular strength, to maximize the effectiveness of rehabilitation for individuals with knee OA.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialSix-month and one-year followup of 23 weeks of aerobic exercise for individuals with fibromyalgia.
To measure mood and physical function of individuals with fibromyalgia, 6 and 12 months following 23 weeks of supervised aerobic exercise. ⋯ Exercise can improve physical function, mood, symptom severity, and aspects of self efficacy for at least 12 months. Exercising at followup was related to improvements in physical function and perhaps mood.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialDigital ulcers in systemic sclerosis: prevention by treatment with bosentan, an oral endothelin receptor antagonist.
Recurrent digital ulcers are a manifestation of vascular disease in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma) and lead to pain, impaired function, and tissue loss. We investigated whether treatment with the endothelin receptor antagonist, bosentan, decreased the development of new digital ulcers in patients with SSc. ⋯ Endothelins may play an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular disease in patients with SSc. Treatment with the endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan may be effective in preventing new digital ulcers and improving hand function in patients with SSc.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2004
Influence of social support and emotional context on pain processing and magnetic brain responses in fibromyalgia.
To examine the effects of social support provided by the presence of patient's significant other on pain ratings, pain thresholds, and brain activity associated with tactile stimulation in 18 fibromyalgia (FM) patients and 18 migraine patients (controls), and to assess the influence of emotional context on thermal pain perception and processing of non-pain-related information. ⋯ When the significant other was present, FM patients reported less pain and thermal pain sensitivity and showed diminished brain activity elicited upon tactile stimulation of a tender point compared with these levels when the patients were alone. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that social support through the presence of a significant other can influence pain processing at the subjective-behavioral level as well as the central nervous system level.