Joint Muscle Medical Care & Research Institute

06/08/2025

Updating

12/21/2024

01/02/2023

Happy New Year: 2023

08/27/2022

We are starting a strong campaign in our rheumatological and connective tissue disease research

11/08/2019

Great to be back in contact with everyone

09/17/2018

Understanding the Placebo Effect

You might have heard of the placebo effect, but do you know what effect it has? This video will explain what the placebo effect is and why you need to consid...

09/17/2018

If you are interested in learning more about how medications are developed and the importance of Clinical Trials check out this informative youtube video: https://youtu.be/8LNnI8CntdY

If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial contact us today!

Have you ever wondered how a medicine gets on to the pharmacy shelf? This animation will explain what clinical research studies are, why they are important a...

09/06/2018

09/06/2018

**Currently Open For Enrollment**

A Randomized, Multicenter, Open-label, Parallel Group Study in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis to Evaluate the Noninferiority of Subject-administered Romosozumab via Autoinjector/Pen vs. Healthcare Provider-administered
Romosozumab via Prefilled Syringe

09/06/2018

09/06/2018

Lupus –

What is it?
Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems including but not limited to your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. Most of diagnosis are found in young women, between the ages of 15 and 44 as well as minorities i.e. African Americans, Hispanics and Asians. While research and scientist are still trying to determine what may cause this disease at this time there are no known causes attributed to someone becoming affected with Lupus. There are no known cures for lupus, however there are a few treatment options for patient affected with this disease to help manage symptom of Lupus. The research community is working daily through the help of clinical trials to finding a cure and/or more effective treatment options for patients living daily with Lupus.
Symptoms
While every Lupus case is different from patient to patient there are some common symptoms:
Fatigue
Fever
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes elsewhere on the body
Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure (photosensitivity)
Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods (Raynaud’s phenomenon)
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Dry eyes
Headaches, confusion and memory loss
How is it diagnosed?
Lupus mimics and have so many similar characteristics of so many other diseases it has taken years for physicians to truly understand and diagnose many with this disease. There isn’t no one test that can diagnose a patient with lupus however with the combination of lab test, biopsies, x-rays, symptoms and a physical exam typically help many physicians make a diagnosis of Lupus.
How is it treated?
Treatment for lupus may vary from patient to patient and is based on the severity of signs and symptoms being experienced. Some treatment that may be prescribed NSAIDS (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as naproxen sodium (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others); Steroids such as prednisone, or high doses of steroids such as methylprednisolone (A-Methapred, Medrol) for more severe cases; Antimalarial drugs such as hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil); Immunosuppressants such as azathioprine (Imuran, Azasan), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept) and methotrexate (Trexall); Biologics such as belimumab (Benlysta); and clinical trials.