Fibromyalgia/Pain

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Americans choose short term relief for neck and back pain

EurekAlert!

New survey data from the Orlando Health Spine Center reveals a significant difference among Americans on how to manage neck and back pain. Respondents were split between relying on rest and reduced activity (44%), turning to over-the-counter pain

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Genicular nerve block (GNB) is effective intervention for Knee OA. Metanalysis of 6 RCTs & 420 KOA pts. GNB significantly reduced pain & improved function (p<0.003), w/ significant relief as early as 2wks and function by 12 weeks. https://t.co/wC2dPvVR7x https://t.co/HCFSXBfVGM

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Rheums! Question or case for Jack Cush? Record it here and we may feature it on an upcoming podcast. https://t.co/HsqM9xLNtP https://t.co/voONsOLeSK

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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Hmmm Really? (7.11.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week - some obvious, other new thoughts and some - hmmm, reallly?

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Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)is a structural cause of dysphagia due to anterior cervical osteophytes. Retrospective study 208 dysphagia pts w/ head/neck CT. DISH was Dx in 39%; predicted by low serum albumin, COPD, & chronic pain https://t.co/zrn4dnCtLc https://t.co/svE6khmUEm

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Genicular nerve block (GNB) is effective intervention for Knee OA. Metanalysis of 6 RCTs & 420 KOA pts. GNB significantly reduced pain & improved function (p<0.003), w/ significant relief as early as 2wks and function by 12 weeks. https://t.co/NMtiQPICpw https://t.co/gVJ0TyuY01

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ICYMI: ACP: Best Practice Advice on Cannabis or Cannabinoids Use for Chronic Noncancer Pain The American College of Physicians published a best practice advisory on cannabis or cannabinoids in the Annals of Internal Medicine. https://t.co/mQI2g4W4hX https://t.co/BhfQtI792M

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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ICYMI: Consensus Against Interventional Injections for Chronic Spinal Pain

Jack Cush, MD

BMJ has published a clinical practice guideline resulting from the work of an international, multidisciplinary panel addressing chronic spine pain (≥3 months duration) not associated with cancer or inflammatory arthropathy. This is a chronic (not acute) spine pain guideline.

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Weed, THC

ICYMI: ACP: Best Practice Advice on Cannabis or Cannabinoids Use for Chronic Noncancer Pain

Jack Cush, MD

The American College of Physicians published a best practice advisory on cannabis or cannabinoids in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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TONIX pharm presented two phase 3 RCTs at #EULAR2025 demonstrating efficacy of sublingual cylcobenzaprine at bedtime in w/ significant reductions in Fibromyalgia pain scores. TNX-102 SL could be the 1st new FM drug to be FDA approved in >15 yrs. PDUFA (decision) date is 8.15.25. https://t.co/XNd8uYLQsJ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Resilience or Resignation? Rethinking Pain, Aging, and Quality of Life Dr. Jiha Lee reports on abstract POS0402 - THE ROLE OF AGEING IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE: THE MAASTRICHT STUDY - presented at the 2025 EULAR https://t.co/AiP57hXIRB
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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Simple Measures are Effective in Knee Osteoarthritis

EurekAlert!

Knee braces, water therapy and exercise are the most promising non-drug therapies for treating knee osteoarthritis, according to a new meta-analysis publishing June 18, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Yuan Luo of the First People’s Hospital of Neijiang, China.

Knee

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#EULAR2025 TriNetX database study indicated that fibromyalgia patients who used glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist drugs were less likely to use opioids and to report pain, fatigue, and malaise compared with propensity-matched non-users https://t.co/ftm93VwW65 https://t.co/2wloutoX8a

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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Transcranial Stimulation is Effective in Fibromyalgia A randomized, controlled clinical trial in fibromyalgia (FM) has shown the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (A-tDCS) (along with exercise and pain neuroscience education [PNE]), in alleviating the pain. https://t.co/kJk1R8ubqk
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Highlights @eular_org #EULAR2025 RCTs + in CTD/RA #ILD w #PPF LB0003 Lots of #CAR-T studies in #SARDs Lots of bDMARDs in #SLE #APS #IgG4 #SjD Neurostimulation 👇 ⬇️inflammation ⬇️pain #RA #fibromyalgia #EULAR2025 @RheumNow @eular_org

Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )

Joint pain and fatigue are actually the biggest issues for people living with haemochromatosis, but we in rheumatology don’t have organized care for them. A call to action from Patrick Kiely, to do better by these patients #EULAR2025 @RheumNow https://t.co/h3Zvov642L

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
Older adults with chronic MSK pain report lower physical health—but better mental health—than younger peers. Fewer missed work days, too. Is this resilience, adaptation, or shifting expectations with age? POS0402 @RheumNow #EULAR2025

Jiha Lee @JihaRheum( View Tweet )

Presenteeism and absenteeism in RA aren’t just about joints. In this UK study, comorbid anxiety, depression, and OA drove lost productivity. Treating RA is not enough —holistic management matters. POS0403 @RheumNow #EULAR2025

Jiha Lee @JihaRheum( View Tweet )

#EULAR2025 Abstr#POS1155 Fatigue remains a management challenge in #SLE. Consistent with other endpoints achieved, Dapirolizumab+SOC improved fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue & FATIGUE-PRO) over PBO+SOC in a Phase 3 RCT @RheumNow https://t.co/rYujy2YjBl

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Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof @Yuz6Yusof( View Tweet )
Targets for OA pain pharmacotherapies some by the wayside: - NGF - TrkA but some very much in play and exciting: - neurotrophin-3 - TRPV1 - Nav1.7, 1.8 Fiona Watt #EULAR2025 @RheumNow https://t.co/DXDKNnVRRo

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
#EULAR2025 Abstr#OP0281 Not just shredding the weight but now also the pain! Another potential benefit of GLP-1 agonists - reducing symptoms of patients with Fibromyalgia. Propensity matched analysis using TrinetX database showed reduction on opiates, fatigue and pain @RheumNow https://t.co/oh6ecJmM5e

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Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof @Yuz6Yusof( View Tweet )
We can control inflammation in RA, but some pts still struggle with disease impact, despite improving with bDMARDs: - lower inflamm - higher comorbidities Doesn’t necessarily map to fibromyalgia dx Beyond Rx, this is the critical question CareRA/2000 #EULAR2025 OP0330 @RheumNow https://t.co/Th3smMgtVb

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David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
#neuromodulation in #rheumatoid #arthritis What is it? 👇 Autonomic & immune system interaction Who seeks this Rx? desperate pts w pain No Rx left Interested in technology #EULAR2025 @RheumNow @eular_org #D2T #RA https://t.co/XWWFiUK6Em

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Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )
The great debate: are cannabis and cannabinoids a valid treatment option in patients with rheumatic diseases? A thread 🧵👇🏼 @RheumNow #EULAR2025 https://t.co/KLZN9MvcFy

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Aurelie Najm @AurelieRheumo( View Tweet )
Interesting debate today #EULAR2025 about medical cannabis - where relative harms have come up. Would you rather be addicted to prescription opioids or recreational cannabis? (not going to argue about cannabis addiction - let’s say social impact is equal) @RheumNow

David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )

Recent Blogs

From DNA to PGA

David Pisetsky, MD, PhD
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I have been investigating the mechanisms of antinuclear antibody (ANA) expression in SLE since 1978. In this pursuit, I have followed the advice of my first division chief, Dr. Ralph Snyderman, a great academician.  Ralph told me to identify a research focus and make it mine. I think I have done reasonably well in my mission so you can imagine my surprise (and excitement) when, for the Lupus 2025 meeting in Toronto, I was asked to conduct a Meet the Professor session on the Type 1 & 2 model for SLE. Read Post

From the Archives: Rheumatology Dead Word Cemetery

Jack Cush, MD
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I recently heard of a secondary school assignment wherein students were challenged to “bury” a word that was no longer useful or appropriate. Their exercise has now evolved into an unofficial RheumNow task force to retire diagnostic terms that have grown into misuse in rheumatology and medicine. How did we decide which words should perish? And by what criteria? Who has the final say? Read Post
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