Tofacitinib: A novel oral treatment for rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatic diseases are erroneously believed to be the disease of the elderly, but a large number of young people too are affected by them. Dr. Gurvinder Singh Sawhney – Senior Consultant, Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement at Nanavati Hospital, gives us a perspective and suggests aggressive treatment strategies to manage flare-ups. Rheumatic or musculoskeletal diseases are considered the aches and pains of the ageing, but there are several disorders prevalent even among young people. Which are…

Kavita Behl, 53, who was diagnosed with high levels of uric acid causing excruciating pain and swelling in her feet, got back her health with a strict walking regimen and disciplined diet. Her mantra now - Be positive and Keep walking.  My problems started two years back in May 2016. I had developed swelling and pain in both my ankles and feet. The pain was so acute that I was not able to put my feet down. I had to go to a doctor. After a series of tests, I was detected with high levels of…

Kajal* had been active and careful about her lifestyle. When she experienced weight loss and started having knee pain she went through a series of tests and specialist doctors. Not satisfied with the solutions presented, she pro-actively looked at various complementary therapies to find solutions and made some surprising findings. I’ve always been thin and active. When I hit thirty, alerted by my parents’ health problems, I switched to a healthy lifestyle. I ate wholegrain foods, healthy fats,…

Jacqueline Colaco, a feisty 68, does not permit the senior citizen tag to prevent her from pushing her boundaries, acquiring new skills, participating in a range of community activities. She is active on Facebook and has even shaved her head in empathy with her school classmate who was on chemo for cancer! Be ever young at heart. At sixty I thought I’d retire from life... Wanting to go into oblivion with a bang, I gathered about two hundred of my nearest and dearest and celebrated this diamond…

Even though knee replacement operations have become more commonplace these days, one needs to be aware of the do’s and dont’s after the operation.  When the severity of a condition is such that physiotherapy for knee pain and any other conversant treatment fails, knee replacement becomes binding. Recovering from knee replacement can be highly challenging especially during the initial days. Here is a comprehensive guide on post-operative care for knee replacement so that both you and your…

MHR, as she prefers to be referred to as, has been battling Behcet’s Syndrome, a rare auto-immune disease for the last 17 years. Having been through various stages of pain, depression and hopelessness, body image issues she has tried ayurveda and yoga, to get some relief. She is keen to spread awareness on auto-immune disorders and wishes that doctors not treat her as guinea pig. First diagnosis I was diagnosed with Behcet’s Syndrome in 2001, after an illness of over 6 months. I was 23 then. I…

Gita Kantawala, 72 from Mumbai had a complete knee replacement of left knee preceded by arthroscopy due to a meniscus tear. She talks of the failures and successes of her surgeries and the recovery and rehabilitation process. And the need for a second opinion. I was diagnosed with Meniscus tear in my left knee in April 2016. One day the knee just locked and I buckled while trying to walk. Consulted an Orthopaedic surgeon who after seeing my X-ray and MRI reports, suggested Arthroscopy the next…

There are different aspects of Arthritis Management. We have compiled multiple ebooks - ebooks that help in understanding the condition and managing it through medication, dietary changes, exercise,  yoga and home adaptations. 1. 20 Tips to Manage Arthritis Arthritis is affecting younger people - even 30-40 year olds. are getting diagnosed with Arthritis. So it is important to understand about Arthritis and manage it pro-actively. Download the ebook 20 Tips to Manage Arthritis …

Coping with Arthritis? Upper body aches and pains? Stiffness in waist, back, hips, shoulders, neck? How can you ease the stiffness in your joints? Yoga is very effective in managing arthritis. It reduces pain, increases flexibility, and lowers stress.  It brings harmony to body and mind. We have worked with Divyayog to create a set of asanas for you to do in the comfort of your own home. Volume 1 was specifically focussed on the lower body - from hip to toe.  Volume 2…

Vidya, a long-standing patient of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) narrates her experience with specialized medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, yoga, Ayurveda, oil massage, warm baths among other things to alleviate severe, chronic pain, stiffness and flare ups. Read for useful tips and better pain management. First things first. Pain and Rheumatoid Arthritis go hand in hand. Sometimes, when I reflect on my journey with RA, one thread that immediately comes to mind is how I coped with…