RESEARCH - Fighting rheumatoid arthritis pain on many fronts

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Fighting Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain on Many Fronts

FRIDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Experts delve deep into the origins and

treatment of pain linked to rheumatoid arthritis in an article in the

December issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

" Rheumatologists are increasingly required to address pain as a specific

symptom. Pain management is no longer simply a quick fix with a single pill,

but rather an approach to the patient as a whole biophysical being, " lead

author Dr. -Ann Fitzcharles of Montreal General Hospital, McGill

University, said in a prepared statement.

" There is no gold standard regarding the ideal management of chronic pain in

rheumatic disease. Ideal pain management should encompass a wide range of

both pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions, " she said.

The article offers a review of complementary treatments for pain in people

with RA:

Exercise. Regular activity maintains muscle tone, improves function

and induces production of natural painkillers in the body.

Herbal and dietary supplements. For example, RA patients recorded

decreased pain after taking supplementation with an omega-3 enriched diet

for 12 months. This approach reduced the need for anti-rheumatic drugs.

Topical medications. Healing ointments have been used as home remedies

for centuries, and have shown clinical promise in treating rheumatic

conditions.

Opioid analgesics. Widely used for treating pain in cancer patients,

opioids are increasingly being prescribed for people with musculoskeletal

pain. However, there is only limited data on the long-term effects of

opioids in people with rheumatic pain, and it isn't clear whether opioids

provide sufficient benefit to possible harmful effects.

" Rheumatologists will need to become familiar and comfortable with the use

of newly developed strategies for pain management to ensure optimal

treatment. Improved function and rehabilitation, and not simply palliation,

should be the main goal of pain management in rheumatologic practice, "

Fitzcharles concluded.

-- Preidt

SOURCE: Wiley & Sons Inc., news release, Dec. 2, 2005

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=55543

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