While there’s no cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis yet, there are many preventative medications. They range from oral pills to injections that can be done at home or by a doctor, which are working for many people who have been diagnosed. All these different treatment options can help patients achieve their goals and stay healthy and functional. In this video, Dr. Laura Cappelli, a physician at the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, discusses the different treatment options for Rheumatoid arthritis.
Scleroderma Associated Myopathy is a muscle disease that Scleroderma patients can develop. Unfortunately, there isn’t very much knowledge about this kind of Myopathy, but the Johns Hopkins Rheumatology Division is working to understand more about this disease. Dr. Julie Paik, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins Rheumatology, explains the complicated nature of this disease.
Diagnosing polymyositis is a step by step process. The physician will start by doing a physical exam to assess their strength, followed by blood tests, an EMG, and a muscle biopsy. In this video, Dr. Lisa Christopher-Stine, the Director of the Myositis Center, discusses how polymyositis is diagnosed.
Shingles, a painful rash that is a reactivation of the chickenpox virus, generally affects people with weaker immune systems, or patients on medications that impair the immune system (corticosteroids, mycophenolate, biologic therapies, and many others).
In this video, Dr. Chris Mecoli explains how these vaccines work and who should receive the vaccine.
Watch as Nurse Victoria Ruffing teaches us how to inject the biologic Actemra.
Dr. Chris Meccoli dives into some common questions related to the flu vaccine.
Treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis is guided by how active the disease is. In this fourth video of our series on Ankylosing Spondylitis, Dr. Cohen dives into the treatment of AS.
When a Gout flare occurs, there is much swelling and pain of the joints. This video discusses the treatment options that are available for such an event and prevention for future attacks.
Exercise, eating well, and speaking openly with a rheumatologist can help prevent flares and strengthen joints. In our final episode on Rheumatoid Arthritis, Dr. Uzma Haque, a physician at the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, talks about the dangers of elimination diets and the benefits of stretching and exercise.
The treatment for Scleroderma Associated Myopathy is still largely unknown because there is not enough information about the disease. The Johns Hopkins Rheumatology Division is working to understand more about this kind of Myopathy. In this video, Dr. Julie Paik, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins Rheumatology, explains the complicated nature of treating this disease.
There are many medications that can help decrease muscle inflammation, but with a myopathy, the best way to feel better is to exercise. In this video, Dr. Lisa Christopher-Stine, the Director of the Myositis Center, explains how we go about treating polymyositis.
Mindfulness meditation is a well-established technique that can reduce stress and lead to improvements in pain, fatigue, sleep difficulties, and overall quality of life. Mindfulness programs come in a variety of forms and can be practiced in a group setting or individually through use of smartphone applications. This could be beneficial for overall stress & mental health in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Dana DiRenzo provides a general overview of mindfulness and how it may be useful to you as someone with rheumatic disease.