rheumatology

AS A teenager, Hayley Foyster saw her career as a swimming and surf life saving champion fade as the agony of rheumatoid arthritis took hold. Ms Foyster, who had suffered the pain of inflamed joints from age five, was a casualty of the lack of early specialist attention. Like many early onset rheumatoid patients, Ms Foyster, now 34, was not diagnosed for years after her doctor dismissed her joint agony as growing pains.  

SESSER-Lukas Gunter enjoys spending time on the hardwood. The Sesser fourth grader has been playing basketball since first grade. And while he looks like a healthy ten year old, Lukas was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis at 18 months of age.  

Thankfully cycling is one of the sports least affected by joint pain due to its lack of impact and the fact that the bike takes most of your weight. But that doesn't mean cyclists are immune to joint pain. Many joint problems are related to arthritis – notably osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  

Wagner's fate will be determined by Chief Bibb County Superior Court Judge Martha Christian. Laura Hogue, one of Wagner's defense attorneys, said in opening statements this morning that Wagner's boyfriend, 29-year-old Shay Alan Morey, acted alone in killing Bobby Wagner. She said Morey acted in a fit of jealousy and rage.  

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- The U.K.'s healthcare cost-effectiveness watchdog Monday recommended Pfizer Inc.'s ( PFE ) arthritis drug Enbrel and Abbott Laboratories' ( ABT ) Humira as first choices for treating adults with active and progressive psoriatic arthritis. The U.K.'s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE, said arthritis treatment Remicade, from Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) and Merck & Co. ( MRK ), should meanwhile only be used when patients cannot tolerant the other two drugs.  

Tampa, Fla. / Psoriasis is one of the most common autoimmune diseases in the United States, and now Dr. Seth Forman is opening a state-of-the-art treatment center to help those who suffer from it. The Tampa dermatologist says with proper treatment the skin disorder is manageable, regardless of whether its minor or severe. There is no cure for psoriasis, but I am dedicated to helping my patients clear their skin, says Dr. Forman.  

Barbara Hein spent 48 months in hospital from the ages of 13 to 30 dealing with the ravages of rheumatoid arthritis. The peak period for the disease occurred in her late teens and early 20s, when she became bedridden for two years, unable to even stand on her feet. Her Toronto doctors, fortunately, came across an article on a drug that could help.  

If you are an avid golfer that plays several times a week, there is a risk that you could develop joint erosion. This is a painful process that can reduce your swing, and make it difficult to function normally. However, there are steps every avid golfer can take that will help them avoid joint erosion.  

Terry Crowe is a small-business owner who suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic, inflammatory arthritis and autoimmune disease that has caused his spine to curve. The only drug that stops it from getting worse is Remicade, an infusion taken every six weeks at a cost of $2,300 per treatment. New Brunswick is one of only two provinces in the country without a catastrophic drug plan covering those who don't have some other form of drug insurance, but who need expensive prescriptions, Crowe said.  

Homewatch CareGivers of Essex, Morris & Union Counties invites the area residents to join their team for the Arthritis Foundation's "Let's Move Together" Walk in Verona Park on May 2. If you can't walk with them, they ask you to consider making a donation. Arthritis is a painful condition that affects 46 million adults and nearly 300,000 children.