UCLA looking at a new way Study: Pain symptoms worsen during pandemic being, both to younger and older people. with bone, joint, to treat knee osteoarthritis andPeople “When the lockdown happened, we were worried this muscle pain have seen
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or the millions of people living with the pain and stiffness of knee osteoarthritis, there are few effective options short of joint replacement surgery which requires months of recovery and physical therapy. Even then, many men and women can’t be considered for surgery because of their age or other medical conditions.
Now, doctors at UCLA Health are offering a promising minimally invasive option that may delay or prevent the need for a knee replacement while offering significant pain relief, reduced inflammation, and improved mobility. More than 100 people have undergone the procedure at UCLA with more than 70 percent reporting improvement. “Although more study is needed, the preliminary results have been overwhelmingly positive. Patients who have lived with debilitating pain for years are able to improve within weeks without any major side effects and without physical therapy,” said Sid Padia, MD, an interventional radiologist at UCLA Health who refined a similar procedure first developed in Japan. “The outpatient procedure takes two hours, and patients are up and walking a few hours later.” The painless procedure, called genicular artery embolization, involves injecting tiny particles into the arteries leading to the knee to reduce blood flow and, in turn, inflammation. “While this is revolutionary for the treatment of osteoarthritis, it is a method that has been used in other areas of medicine for years, especially to shrink liver tumors and to treat uterine fibroids,” Dr. Padia said. “We use the same particles, the same materials, and the same practices, but instead of treating tumors, we’re treating inflammation.” UCLA will start clinical trials later this fall, and the procedure should be available at other institutions in the U.S. in 2021. UCLA has also begun using the procedure to treat arthritis pain in other areas of the body such as the shoulder and elbow with promising results.
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their symptoms worsen during the pandemic, according to research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the United Kingdom. A new study published shows the majority of people with musculoskeletal pain reported increased symptoms as the world adhered to new restrictions designed to stop the spread of COVID-19. Individuals who experienced the most social isolation and loneliness were less likely to access healthcare during this time. The findings are the result of a survey of more than 600 people across the UK to see how people with bone, joint, and muscle pain coped in lockdown. The study was led by Dr. Toby Smith from UEA’s School of Health Sciences, and Professor Alex MacGregor from UEA’s Norwich Medical School. “Bone, joint, and muscle pain is a major cause of disability for people across the UK,” Dr. Smith said. “People with these problems often experience pain, joint stiffness, fatigue, and muscle weaknesses.” Dr. Smith said study results show the coronavirus pandemic is a major challenge for health and well-
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may become a much greater problem – particularly for those with bone, joint, and muscle pain. “We wanted to know how the new restrictions might affect pain, and better understand who is most at risk of experiencing flare-ups or reduced wellbeing due to social isolation and loneliness.” The research team launched an online survey in late April, five weeks after the start of lockdown, in a group of 678 patients with a range of musculoskeletal diseases to see how the restrictions impacted their wellbeing and ability to access healthcare. “We found the majority of survey participants, just over 53%, reported their musculoskeletal symptoms had worsened since the start of lockdown,” MacGregor said. “A third of patients reported needing to access either their general practitioner or a hospital rheumatology department. As might be expected, those who accessed healthcare reported significantly greater pain, stiffness, and poorer general health.” The study also indicated those who reported greater social isolation and loneliness were less likely to access healthcare. “Most respondents, just over 88%, reported little difficulty accessing medication, but 44% needed the assistance of others to do this,” MacGregor said. He said patients have been able to access primary care and hospital rheumatology departments. However, those with higher levels of social isolation access healthcare the least. “Should further isolation measures need to be enforced as we have seen in some part of the UK as the pandemic continues, particular efforts should be made to protect and support the socially isolated as a vulnerable group. “Healthcare providers should reach out to individual patients who do not come forward for advice, and who might be silently struggling with their disease,” he added. (The University of East Anglia provided this information.)
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