Tofacitinib: A novel oral treatment for rheumatoid arthritis

There is a lot to learn from the life story of Jacqueline Colaco, 68, a National Hockey Champion and highly successful banker, who was struck by Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 36. But she bravely fought the disease with surgeries, medications and a positive winning-over-whining approach. Today, she is a beacon of hope and inspiration to fellow sufferers. She was what every girl aspires to be. A school Head Girl, National Champion of Women’s Hockey, distinction in BCom in college, a highly…

Are you confused as to when to use Ice Pack and when to use Heat to deal with pain, injury and inflammation? This infographic below sums it up quite simply. According to Dr. Bhuvaneswari, a quick guideline to follow is:  Ice pack is preferred if it is a recent and acute pain episode especially injury which may be a blood clot, muscle tear or tendon tear.  For instance most sport and exercse injuries.  Heat or warmth for Chronic pain with stiffness, especially joint related…

Kalpana Kamdar, a physiotherapist from Ahmedabad, emphasises the importance of good posture to protect our bones, joints, muscles and ligaments and suggests simple ways to keep our musculoskeletal system in perfect shape. Video of webinar recording below. In the past three articles we have discussed how bad postures are the actual reason for pain and discomfort in most cases, though it is frequently wrongly diagnosed and treated as local issues like Cervical Spondylitis, Frozen Shoulder, Tennis…

The Rhythm Wellness initiative of Global ArtsCare in Singapore conducts group drumming session for the elderly to reduce loneliness, increase energy levels and morale and provide recreational and wellness activities. Tell us about Global ArtsCare and the work it does? At GlobalArtsCare we aim to transform lives-in-care through creative arts engagement. Our activities aim to make creative arts engagement accessible to as many people in care facilities. In the process, residents, care-givers, and…

How does one smile and be cheerful when one wakes up with severely stiff joints and incredible pain? In the conclusion of this two-part series, Lakshmi Menon, 63, talks about the various health issues that arise as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) progresses and offers coping mechanisms to maintain best health. I began to monitor my health condition such as increased pain, swelling or other changes so I could report these developments to my rheumatologist. In the past 8 years, other than pain, morning…

Does Yoga help people manage chronic conditions and the various symptoms? On International Yoga Day, we speak to a cross section of people who believe strongly that yoga has contributed greatly in their journey of recovery1.  Mr Purushotaman - Parkinsons Mr. Purushotaman is 77-years-old and has had Parkinson's for 4 years. An unassuming gentleman, Mr. Purushotaman is extremely regular for all meetings and yoga sessions conducted by Parivarthan for Parkinson’s. Parivarthan is a…

Lakshmi Menon, 63, talks about how she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and her continuous struggle to manage its pain and debilitating symptoms. This is the first of a two-part series. I first got to know of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) when my twin sister was afflicted with this debilitating disease when she was in her early 30s. She had a very virulent form of RA which caused her severe pain and, in no time caused deformation of her hands and feet and reduced mobility. It was her…

Vonita Singh, who conducts therapeutic dance classes Movement Mantra in Dubai, is herself a patient of Rheumatoid Arthritis from a very early age. She shares how she fought to overcome the physical challenges Tell us a little about when RA started? What were the symptoms? It all started with the big toe of my right foot - I was all of 18 years old! Subtle pain and tenderness were the main symptoms initially, but that did not create enough anxiety for me to talk about it with anyone, including…

Dr Kalpana Kamdar, a physiotherapist from Ahmedabad, warns that slumping and slouching for long hours while sitting can result in severe shoulder dysfunction, unbearable pain, inflammation and restriction of movement in the neck, shoulders and upper back.  Case Study A 65-year-old male patient, retired from a clerical job, came with diffused pain in and around the left shoulder joint and loss of movement due to pain and weakness but no stiffness in the shoulder. He had first been treated…

Do you or a family member like to cook in the kitchen but struggle with the aches and pains due to Arthritis and other bone and joint conditions? Do you know that with some modifications and some simple tips, your kitchen can be made Elder Friendly or Arthritis Friendly? Here are some tips consolidated into the Arthritis Friendly Kitchen E-Book that you can download. And if you like the ebook, please share this page with your friends and family - so they can benefit from this as well.  And…