At the October American College of Rheumatology meeting in Chicago, research from around the world was shared.  A featured study regarding osteoarthritis assessed 240 patients, half using acetaminophen and anti-inflammatory medications and the other half using opioid medications (codeine, morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl etc.) They compared the level of general pain intensity and pain related to movement for the two groups. The intensity of pain was lessened in the group NOT using opioids. Pain with movement was no different between the two groups. This information emphasizes the need to avoid opioid use in osteoarthritis.

Weight loss and continued movement are the main focus of treatment. Even while sitting, keeping moving is important. Pushing through some discomfort to maintain movement and lubrication of joints is vital. Water exercise programs are also very beneficial for those with limited mobility. An example of these programs is the GLA:D physiotherapy program, which was first established in Denmark and is now offered at many centres in Canada. It is a well researched program showing improvement in osteoarthritic joints.

Stay tuned for more information on osteoarthritis…

At the recent American Rheumatology Association Meeting in Chicago, several reports were presented in the area of fibromyalgia. Many of these studies were done at the Rush Medical Centre in Chicago.

In 2010, the criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia were updated. Despite the estimated 5 million people living with fibromyalgia, scientific articles on less common rheumatic diseases are published with much greater frequency than those focused on fibromyalgia. Some researchers feel that there is a publication bias which can limit the exposure to information clinicians can learn from in the area of fibromyalgia.

Some rheumatologists have limited their practice to exclude patients with fibromyalgia fearing that these patients are more time consuming and difficult to treat. A survey of a rheumatologists and rheumatology nurses asked them to rate patients from 1-3 (easy to difficult) based on several factors. Only 13.7% of patients were identified to be exhausting and difficult to treat. The authors concluded that these patients may have an undeserved reputation for being difficulty to care for, as the majority are not.

Researchers used a word recognition test to assess cognitive function in people with fibromyalgia. In a rheumatology clinic, 28 patients with fibromyalgia and 42 patients without fibromyalgia were selected to do the testing. Those with fibromyalgia had a time delay of 0.07 seconds in processing information compared to the non-fibromyalgia group. Slower processing may account for feelings of fibro fog where the synchrony of certain circuits in the brain are disturbed.

This week, we are pleased to bring you information about a Chronic Pain Public Forum. Charlton Health highly recommends this session for anyone living in chronic pain or for people who support those with chronic pain. This amazing public forum has been a well received annual event and is one not to be missed!

For more information, please call the Ontario Pain Foundation at 905-592-1516 or email at theontariopainfoundation@gmail.com.

In our last blog, we discussed the impact of excess weight and inflammation in the body.  While we all know exercise is one of the fundamental ways to increase weight loss, we also know that it is not always easy for people to add exercise to their routines. One of the best ways to incorporate exercise into your routine is walking! Increasing every week by a few minutes to reach the 150 minutes/week goal may be a great way to start.

With that, we know that walking is not a viable option for some. For many people with joint issues, movement in the water is the most beneficial. This allows for increased blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body while moving in the water, and in addition, water provides a benefit of hydrotherapy to the joints. Many communities have a hot water pool to facilitate exercise for those with arthritis and may even provide a lift chair to lower you into the water.

For those who prefer the comfort of their own home, a wonderful program called “from soup to tomatoes” is available as an online session promoting movement while seated. Learn more about this program here.

The Arthritis Society provides physiotherapists for those living with arthritis. They can help structure an exercise program that is safe for you. Please don’t hesitate to use these resources – you can learn more here.

The vast majority of disease states are improved through exercise. In fact, one of the best strategies to preserve memory is exercise. Ultimately, The most important thing is to keep moving. If you’d like more help, speak to your healthcare provider today.

Carolyn Whiskin is the Pharmacy Manager for Charlton Health.  Carolyn specializes in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, pharmaceutical compounding, women’s health, pain and smoking cessation. Carolyn has won provincial and national awards for her commitment to patient care and public service.