Dr. Phil Hariram's Health Blog

There is a general myth that arthritis is an age-related medical condition that afflicts only the senior citizens or the elderly.  It may be true with osteoarthritis, the most common sort of joint disorder that usually is affecting adults of both sexes in their middle age.  But what most people don’t get is that there [...]

Rheumatoid Arthritis medication

Possibly the best rheumatoid arthritis medication that you could possibly take will for the most part depend on your type of arthritis, and the difficulties you are having, there is not one specific type of medication that firstly can be called the best and secondly there is not a medication that can treat [...]

Image via Wikipedia

Glucosamine and chondroitin are widely advertised as remedies for osteoarthritis. The benefits, however, are not clear.
A qualitative assessment of various trials were done by T.E. McAlindon et al. to evaluate the benefits of glucosamine and chondroitin products for osteoarthritis of the knee and/or hip.
The studies were randomised, double blind, placebo controlled of four [...]

Image via Wikipedia

There are certain arthritic conditions that we know a specific cause for. Gout, for example, we know is caused by a lack of an enzyme, xanthine oxidase, and as a result the level of uric acid in the blood is higher than normal. This high level results in crystals separating out and being [...]

Image via Wikipedia

You can break this into symptoms, signs and impairment of function.
Pain develops around the osteoarthritic joint. The severity of pain and impairment depends largely on the individual. This can be influenced by expectation and state of mind. Anxiety and depression will influence pain perception. Level of satisfaction and success especially at work and [...]

Image via Wikipedia

Osteoarthritis can be grouped into two types, primary and secondary.
In primary, the cause is generally unknown and in secondary it can develop following damage to the joint or mis-alignment.
When osteoarthritis develops the surface of the cartilage splits, and focal erosions develops leading to exposure of the underlying bone. The exposed bone becomes worn [...]

Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis should benefit from the new range of drugs called Tumour Necrotic Factor Inhibitors (Anti-TNF).
Tests on three of these new drugs slowed progression and reduced symptoms by up to 50%.
Research at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, has shown that these three drugs are most effective in combination with the standard treatment, [...]