Ankylosing spondylitis
Cherished beds can damage backs
Clinging on to a beloved bed can damage back health, according to figures released from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA).
Sleeping triggers back and neck pain for 30% of people, yet 21% admit to changing their mattress less than once a decade and 10% have never changed it at all.
While a mattress is a significant investment for most, other items of bedding that can make a big difference to back and neck health are also overlooked; 64% of people admit to not testing a pillow before buying it. Continue reading
More reliable hip replacements are on the agenda
People who need hip replacements in the UK should receive a higher standard in the future, after National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published new guidance.
Recommendations on the provision of artificial joints have been updated and now say that everyone should receive the right prostheses for their requirements. A stricter benchmark for the quality of these devices will also be implemented.
New joints should work well in a minimum of 95% of people over 10 years (up from 90%) so that fewer people need to have their artificial hips replaced due to wearing or other problems. Continue reading
Discovery of the trigger of inflammation leads to hope for longer, healthier lives
Inflammation is behind many age-related diseases such as arthritis, gout, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. Even when it doesn’t cause disease it can still lead to loss of function and reduces healthspan (the portion of our lives spent relatively free of serious illness).
But a team from the Yale School of Medicine has discovered a vital trigger of inflammation: sensor Nlrp3 inflammasome. It means that instead of tackling each age-dependent disease separately, experts could umbrella them together, says the team in Cell Metabolism. Continue reading
Flat feet can cause lower back pain in women
The shape of women’s feet may contribute to their risk of lower back pain, says research published in Rheumatology.
A large US study of 1,930 women and men found that women who walk with flat feet were 50% more likely than those with normal or high arches to experience lower back pain. But the same relationship didn’t exist for men. Continue reading
The Simple Tasks Campaign – take action!
Earlier this month, the Simple Tasks Campaign launched its efforts to raise awareness about the value of rheumatology services.
It’s come about because about 1 million people in the UK have rheumatology conditions but many key decision makers do not understand the scale and severity of the conditions, and do not have enough information about what rheumatology services can offer patients. Continue reading