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Articles in this section reflect chapter ten of the British National Formulary and relate to musculoskeletal and joint diseases
Dealing with the symptom of spasticity
March 2011Spasticity is a symptom of many diseases and can have a huge impact on quality of life. Treatments range from physiotherapy to intrathecal baclofen pumps
Care in juvenile idiopathic arthritis
December 2010Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a long-term condition which, like asthma and diabetes, has potentially debilitating effects, not only for patients but also for their families and carers. Nicola Gray, Simon Keady and Janet McDonagh describe the condition and its treatment
Rheumatoid arthritis: Features, causes and diagnosis
May 2010Social and financial independence can be lost when a person develops severe rheumatoid arthritis. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can improve outcomes for patients and reduce costs to society
Rheumatoid arthritis: Management
May 2010Evidence in support of early and aggressive pharmacological intervention in rheumatoid arthritis continues to be gathered. DMARDs, corticosteroids and biologics are the main drugs in the armoury
Tenuous link between vitamin D and chronic pain (POEM)
April 2009Clinical question: Is vitamin D supplementation effective in the treatment of chronic pain in patients with normal serum levels or low serum levels?
Choosing over-the-counter analgesics
November 2008According to the Proprietary Association of Great Britain, 2007 sales of analgesics reached £526m, making up 23 per cent of all OTC sales. There are numerous products available, but which can be recommended? Andrew Dickman reviews the situation in two articles. The first, published here, focuses on the drugs. The second looks at cautions, contraindications and other considerations
From treating polymyalgia rheumatica to managing anticoagulation
October 2008A case study from the September 2008 BNF/BNFC e-newsletter
Managing ankylosing spondylitis
September 2008Navjot Nannar gives an overview of the chronic inflammatory disease of the spinal column that affects one in 250 men
Chondroitin ineffective for pain relief in severe knee osteoarthritis (POEM)
August 2008Clinical question: Is chondroitin sulphate effective for pain relief or for preventing progression of osteoarthritis of the knee in patients with severe disease?
Management of myasthenia gravis
December 2006Susan Allen describes the symptoms of myasthenia gravis and what support pharmacists can give
Promoting self care of joint pain
September 2006Joint pain is a common condition and pharmacists are ideally placed to provide advice to patients on managing the condition. John Dickson discusses joint pain, its causes, cases for referral and treatments available
Osteoporosis
October/November 2005Bone density and its related property, bone strength, change considerably throughout life. Density increases during growth, continuing to rise even after growth in height stops. Peak bone mass is achieved between the ages of 25 and 40 years. The size and shape of each bone are genetically predetermined but are also influenced by endocrine factors, nutrition, physical forces and local growth factors
Care of the elderly - an osteoporosis medication management clinic
June 2004This article describes the development of the role of a pharmacist practitioner with a special interest in osteoporosis
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
February 2004Three articles on minimising the gastrointestinal risks posed by NSAIDs
- Strategies against NSAID-induced gastrointestinal side effects: part 1
- Strategies against NSAID-induced gastrointestinal side effects: part 2
- How to change NSAID prescribing
Rheumatoid arthritis
January 2002Rheumatoid arthritis affects up to 1 per cent of the world’s population and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. These articles discuss possible mechanisms by which the disease becomes established and the tendency for drug treatment of rheumatoid arthritis to be aggressive
New drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
January 2001A review of the use of etanercept and infliximab in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, as well as some others under development
