Fibromyalgia News

ATLANTA — The incidence of opioid-related hospitalizations among patients with musculoskeletal conditions increased markedly over the past 2 decades, with continued growth among patients with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, according to a presentation at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting.

ATLANTA — More than one-third of patients with rheumatic diseases reported using marijuana to relieve pain with minimal guidance from their physicians, according to findings presented at ACR/ARP 2019.

Patients with fibromyalgia demonstrate worse objective and subjective cognitive function — sometimes called “fibrofog” — compared with individuals without the disease, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Rheumatology patients treated with interleukin inhibitors have an increased risk for serious infections, opportunistic infections and cancer, according to data published in JAMA Open Network.

Upon successful completion of this educational activity, participants will be better able to assess and treat patients with fibromyalgia.

The FDA has approved several generic versions of pregabalin for the treatment of patients with neuropathic pain related to diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, partial onset seizures, fibromyalgia and spinal cord injury.

Reduced stress levels, and high pain intensity at baseline, predict an increased likelihood of significantly improved pain after 10 to 12 years among patients with fibromyalgia or chronic widespread pain, according to data published in BMC Rheumatology.

June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, according to the American Migraine Foundation. The condition impacts almost one in five women, one in 10 children and one in 20 men, according to the Migraine Research Foundation.

Political activism is more accessible than ever thanks to the amplification offered by social media, and rheumatologists can use social media — particularly Twitter — to advocate for the profession and their patients, according to Angus Worthing, MD, private practice rheumatologist and chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the American College of Rheumatology.

In the ever-changing landscape of the United States health care system, rheumatologists need a voice. They need a voice in managing the complex web of drug pricing structures, a voice in developing clinical guidelines, and, on a fundamental level, a voice in simply communicating with all the players involved in running the day-to-day operations of a rheumatology practice.