Description:
Often considered an "old folks" affliction, arthritis is the medical term for more than 100 diseases and conditions that affect the joints of about one out of six Americans--old and young. Treatment for this debilitating, chronic condition is complicated, so Harvard Medical School professor of medicine Michael Weinblatt, M.D., developed a comprehensive guide to explain arthritis "in plain English" and offer preventative and prescriptive suggestions for successful pain management. His goal: to foster equal optimism and skepticism, thus empowering the patient to make informed decisions. Weinblatt begins with a helpful refresher course on bone health (titled "Why Good Joints Go Bad") and outlines steps to find a health-care provider. In the chapters on pain, he describe symptoms and their common treatments and offers charts that outline various drugs, their brand names, standard doses, and estimated costs. Special attention to the many current medical treatments (including COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex and Vioxx, and biological-response modifiers such as Enbrel) include each option's benefits and risks. Weinblatt also addresses conditions that mimic arthritis (carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, fibromyalgia) and provides an unbiased guide to several "complementary" (often referred to in other texts as "alternative") therapies, from A (acupuncture) to Z (zinc supplements). Despite his desire to squash all the hype surrounding "breakthrough"--and usually unproven--arthritis treatments (magnets, bee venom, the "Arthritis Diet"), Weinblatt's tone remains engaging--never condescending--throughout the book's 300-plus pages. Lists of questions to ask your healthcare provider and to assess a patient's status, plus an invitation to visit a Web site for online updates, make this book a valuable reference and resource. --Liane Thomas
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