'Bath Salts' Identified As New Source Of Flesh-Eating Infection
A study led by Russell R. Russo, MD, a third-year Orthopaedic Surgery resident at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has identified a new source of life-threatening necrotizing fasciitis - "bath salts." The study, describing the first known case of necrotizing fasciitis from an intramuscular injection of the street drug known as "bath salts, " is published in the January 2012 issue of Orthopedics, now available online. Necrotizing fasciitis is an orthopedic emergency.
Rheumatoid Joint Disease - Mindfulness Exercises Help Significantly
A small study published online in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases reveals that "Mindfulness" exercises, irrespective of how difficult they are, that focus on experiencing the present moment can help to limit the stress and fatigue linked to painful rheumatoid joint disease. Researchers assessed 73 patients aged between 20 and 70 years with painful joint disease due to rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or psoriatic arthritis for a minimum of 12 months. Half of the patients were randomly allocated to receive 10 group sessions of "mindfulness" exercises over a course of 15 weeks, plus a booster session about 6 months following the completion of the course, whilst the other half received standard care plus a CD with similar exercises home use, as and when they wanted.
Treatment For Painful Flat Feet On The Horizon
A team led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) has made an advance in understanding the causes of adult-acquired flat feet - a painful condition particularly affecting middle-aged women. Published today in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, the findings could eventually lead to new drug therapy for this and other common conditions affecting the tendons, such as Achilles tendonitis. Adult-acquired flat foot is most common in women over 40 and often goes undiagnosed. The condition results from the gradual 'stretching out' over time of a tendon near the ankle bone - the tibialis posterior tendon - which is the main stabiliser of the foot arch.