ArthritisDigest2013
Corydalis yanhusuo plant: promising lead in pain relief for arthritis and fibromyalgia
The Corydalis yanhusuo plant is under scrutiny as a possible treatment for acute inflammation and nerve pain, says research published in Current Biology.
Derived from the roots of the plant that grows in Siberia, China and Japan, dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB) is said to be non-addictive and does not generate the tolerance seen with continued use of other pain relievers, such as morphine. Continue reading
Foot arthritis much more common than thought
Painful foot osteoarthritis affects one in six people over 50 years, equating to 3.5 million people in the UK, says new research published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
Data from 5,109 people aged over 50 years found that foot osteoarthritis affects women more than men, especially those who have had manual jobs. About 75% of those with foot osteoarthritis reported difficulty with simple daily activities such as walking, standing and shopping. Continue reading
Trial of degradable implant could give future hope for those with arthritis
A new degradable surgical implant could offer improved surgical success to people with arthritis, hernias and heart defects, says a research team from Oxford.
The protective patch, which wraps round soft tissue repairs, is made of a combination of resilient woven material (designed to encourage cells to grip and bond and withstand the stresses of movement after surgery) and a thread that is a hundred times finer than human hair. Continue reading
Fresh approach needed for torn cartilage repair
Knee surgery to repair torn cartilage are no better than placebo ops, suggests research published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The Finnish Degenerative Meniscal Lesion Study (FIDELITY) compared surgical treatment of degenerative meniscal tears to placebo surgery. Continue reading
New genetic markers found for rheumatoid arthritis could aid development of new treatments
An international collaboration has led to the discovery of 42 new genetic markers associated with rheumatoid arthritis, potentially opening doors to new treatments, says a study published in Nature.
Thought to be the largest international study to date on rheumatoid arthritis, the research team used data from 38 institutions. Of the100,000 participants, 29,880 had rheumatoid arthritis. Continue reading
