Science
The body, medicine, and research explained simply
Does CBD work?
Using CBD (cannabidiol) for pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and countless other conditions has become popular. A lot of people use CBD oil, which comes in a little dropper bottle and often includes some (rather arbitrary) dosing instructions. CBD also comes in pills and gummies and can be vaped. It’s so easy to get, but does it work? Is it safe? What is CBD? CBD is an extract of the hemp plant, the same plant that marijuana comes from. Hemp can be used for a lot more than marijuana, though, and contains many different called cannabinoids, including CBD. CBD and other chemicals can be extracted from hemp in ways that keep…
We need to leave behind prejudiced science
Diagnostic criteria put out by medical organizations are supposed to help make diagnosis more straightforward for doctors and patients by defining what the disease is. They should make it easier to study the disease and easier to decide treatment. But what about when those criteria are based on biased assumptions? Research for spondyloarthritis has a history of discrimination affecting women and people of color, and decisions continue to be made from that research. Doctors and researchers need to consider this when making recommendations and designing studies today. Spondyloarthritis Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of autoinflammatory diseases that mostly feature arthritis of the spine which can lead to spinal fusion. The…
Alfred the Great was disabled
Too often, it’s assumed that disability has no place in the lives of heroes and pioneers. At times, it’s even been actively removed from their stories. Alfred the Great had a chronic illness for much of his life, and by any modern standard, he was disabled. “Great” and “disabled” aren’t antithetical, and “weak” and “disabled” aren’t synonyms. But for many years and to many people that was believed to be the case, and disability has been erased from some versions of Alfred’s story. Alfred the Great was king of Wessex, in England, in the late 9th century. He is credited with the creation of modern England. He unified the English…
Biologics explained
Biological medicines, or biologics, get talked about a lot. The word is casually thrown around in the rheumatology world by doctors and patients alike. What can get skipped, though, is an explanation of what, exactly, makes a biologic a biologic, and why biologics are different from other drugs. What is a biologic? A biologic medication is a medication that comes from a living source. The drug is produced by living cells and then used as medicine. This is different from traditional medications, like aspirin, Tylenol, or ibuprofen, which can be made by carefully combining chemicals (I’ve even made aspirin myself in lab class). Because of how biologics are made, the…
Biosimilars: What’s the buzz?
I’ve been hearing a lot about biosimilars lately. On Twitter, at the ACR conference, from pharmaceutical companies and physicians, they’re popping up more and more. In the United States, they’re just starting to get approval and reach patients, while in Europe, they’re gaining ground and making biologic medications more affordable. But what does it mean if something is a biosimilar? Are they safe and effective, and how available are they? What are biosimilars? Many drugs today have both brand-name and generic versions available for use (Advil and Motrin vs. generic ibuprofen, for example). This is because when a drug is first developed, the developer applies for a patent protecting their…
Humira, Enbrel, and cancer risk
There’s a scary warning when you read about biologics like Humira and Enbrel: these drugs may increase risk of cancer. Scarier, Humira has a warning that it may cause a rare, deadly type of cancer in young people. After spending many bored hours in doctor’s offices, I’d read the warnings many times on pamphlets and posters. Probably too many, because it made me question whether it was the right choice to start a biologic therapy when my doctor offered it as an option. Simply put, biologic medications are drugs that are made from living sources, instead of mixing chemicals. They include medicines like Humira and Enbrel for autoimmune diseases and even…
My unnerving steroid injection experiences
Because of my problems with my shoulder, I’ve had corticosteroid injections (also called cortisone injections or steroid injections) more than once. Doctors (at least the ones I’ve had) don’t counsel you on anything to watch out for, they just give you the shot and send you on your way. Which is why, when I started having side effects, at first I thought there was something wrong with me. Harmless beginnings Corticosteroid injections are often given to alleviate pain in a specific joint or location, often due to arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, or some other condition that is causing inflammation there. The first time I had a corticosteroid injection was from a crazy…
Kinesiology tape for arthritis
Kinesiology tape (also kinesio tape or KT) was first was first suggested to me a few years ago by a friend who thought it might help my recalcitrant shoulder. The box of KT Tape she handed me claimed it could fix everything. Bad knee? Injured ankle? Sore shoulder? Back? Neck? Hands? Kinesiology tape can help! Of course, the asterisk warns you that only some of these uses have been found effective in studies. Which ones? Who knows. I used it on my shoulder for awhile because I was out of other options. I’d experienced physical therapy, braces, medicines, x-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds – nothing helped and doctors couldn’t tell me why.…
A problem with medical stereotypes
I recently saw a question on The Mighty asking people to share what others think their condition looks like versus what it actually looks like for them. It seems intended to be an empowering question about breaking out of stereotypes, but I think of something more dangerous when I think about this question: stereotypes about conditions that are used in a professional medical setting. Sometimes, these stereotypes are backed up by scientific evidence, but sometimes, these stereotypes are perpetuated even though they may not be true. Either way, they can be harmful for people trying to find diagnosis and treatment. For example, I have spondylitis, a type of arthritis where…
