Measuring rheumatoid disease activity Archives | Page 3 of 4 | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior

Predictors of Pain in DAS28 Remission

RA pain with so-called clinical remission is common When I tried to find a new rheumatologist in the spring of 2009, I learned all about clinical remission. The Good Doctors Treat Patients video tells the story of 1 of 3 doctors I saw at the time. Like the nursery rhyme, it was “Same song, second verse,...Continue reading      19 Comments » Read more

Rheumatoid Arthritis Morning Stiffness

Do you get the Rheumatoid Arthritis morning stiffness question? Does your rheumatologist ask you the morning stiffness question at every visit? Many doctors use this as a measure of disease activity. They ask, “How long does your morning stiffness last?” My first RA doctor did ask me about morning stiffness at every single visit. I had no...Continue reading      98 Comments » Read more

Rheumatoid Arthritis Fevers

Last week, I mentioned my Rheumatoid Arthritis fevers in another post. What a surprising variety of reactions. Some said, “Me too.” Others said, “Ohmygosh I had no idea the fever was from RA!” And others said, “What on earth do you mean by RA fever?” What do you mean by Rheumatoid Arthritis fevers? When the Mayo Clinic...Continue reading      133 Comments » Read more

Patients & Doctors Differ on Assessing Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Severity

Problems assessing Rheumatoid Arthritis disease severity? Ever feel like the doctor doesn’t see Rheumatoid Arthritis the way you do? If you have RA, you’re in good company. One new study found over a “third of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients differed from their physicians in assessment of their disease severity.” I know about this “differing” because of...Continue reading      42 Comments » Read more

3 Tools for Online Pain Management of RA

By Karla Fitch Yesterday, we looked at Online Pain Management for Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Today, we’ll look at three online pain management sites and some of the bells and whistles they offer. You can decide what features are important to you. A closer look at 3 online pain management tools eTrack Pain eTrack Pain was the simplest  site to use...Continue reading      6 Comments » Read more

Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Versus Mild Rheumatoid Arthritis

Next week, the blog will be one year old. During this week, I’m sharing some personal thoughts. Comparing severe Rheumatoid Arthritis & mild Rheumatoid Arthritis I’ve experienced both sides of this comparison:  I’ve been told I have Rheumatoid Arthritis too mild to understand the struggles of others: “How else could you blog every day?” Other times, I...Continue reading      97 Comments » Read more

The Value of Patient Reported Outcome Measures of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Are patient reported outcome measures useful for Rheumatoid Arthritis? Unfortunately, pain is invisible. I’ve fantasized that it should have a color so that it could be seen and measured objectively. However, pain is just as invisible as stiffness, weakness, and fatigue – the major symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. How can we measure Rheumatoid Arthritis since its...Continue reading      33 Comments » Read more

Ultrasounds for Rheumatoid Arthritis, Part 3

Ultrasounds as sensational tests for RA Over the last couple of days, we have taken a look at musculoskeletal ultrasound tests for Rheumatoid Arthritis. We explored the value of ultrasounds (MSUS) compared to other tests for RA. We have seen that ultrasounds for Rheumatoid Arthritis are more precise and sensitive than x-ray tests for RA. The...Continue reading      23 Comments » Read more

Ultrasounds for Rheumatoid Arthritis, Part 2

A surprisingly different assessment of ultrasounds as tests for RA Several weeks ago, when I met the new rheumatologist, I asked for an opinion of ultrasounds for RA. The reaction was surprising. The doctor told me that it would be a worthless thing to do. Of course, I brought up some of the fantastic reports about...Continue reading      12 Comments » Read more

Ultrasound for Rheumatoid Arthritis, Part 1

What is the best test for Rheumatoid Arthritis? We’ve looked at tests for RA before on the blog. Last week, we took a humorous look at an MRI for Rheumatoid Arthritis. What about an ultrasound for detecting signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis? Earlier this year, I asked that question. Do I need an ultrasound for RA? In the...Continue reading      19 Comments » Read more

10 Dumb Questions About an MRI for Rheumatoid Arthritis

You have rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in your hand? I went for an MRI on my hand the other day – for the third time. For the two previous weeks, I showed up to discover that the MR (Magnetic Resonance) machine had broken. Of course, the third time’s a charm. I did not say charming, though. The MRI /...Continue reading      36 Comments » Read more

Blood Tests for Rheumatoid Arthritis, part 2

Many people with active RA have “normal” test results In my last post, I posed the question: Is There a Blood Test for Rheumatoid Arthritis? I told you that the answer is yes – and no. I went on to describe the “yes” by summarizing four principal blood tests used in diagnosing Rheumatoid Arthritis. Now it...Continue reading      79 Comments » Read more
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