Patients suffering from plantar fasciitis now have a choice to choose above surgery. The new method developed by an Italian Team of researchers used dry-needling to combine it with a steroid injection.

Dry needling is done to reduce inflammation by causing local bleeding in the area where a steroid can be injected to the perifascial soft tissue, which helps in healing the fascia.

Till date, no proper treatment was established for this disease though stretching in the morning, weight loss, and NSAIDS were few things that were advised to the concerned patients. But after a number of clinical trials, researchers have come out with a conclusion that steroids help in reducing pain to a considerable extent.

From medpage today:

For patients with plantar fasciitis, a notoriously difficult condition to treat, an Italian Team has come up with a novel approach that uses dry-needling combined with a steroid injection, researchers said here.

The study, however, had no control group, and Dr. Sconfienza said further research is needed, possibly comparing three groups: dry-needling alone, dry-needling with steroids, and no treatment.

“It’s an interesting approach, but they should still try to try to repeat the study [with a control group],” commented Philip O. Alderson, M.D., of Saint Louis University, who moderated the session at which the study was presented and was not involved in the research. “However, there is still such a good amount of pain relief [shown in this study] and it should be looked at further.”

The efficiencies of dry needling and steroids were assessed by researchers as they conducted a study of 44 patients in the age group of 35-80 years (who were unresponsive to previous therapies). The entire procedures took about 15 minutes. Patients were given local anesthesia guided by dry needling that was then pulled back to the perifascial soft tissues and 1 mL of triamcinolone acetonide 40 mg/mL was injected to reduce inflammation, Luca M. Sconfienza, M.D., of the University of Genoa, said.

This study has been seen as a progressive therapy for reduction of pain and associated symptoms. It is also believed that this is a novel method of treatment to cure even tennis elbow.

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Osteoporosis, one of the major causes of disability in older women, can be cured by low doses of steroids. On the basis of a new research by scientists, it has been reported that low dosages of estrogen increase bone density in women that too without causing any side effects.

Sources say that researchers from the University of Connecticut examined the effects of one quarter of the dose of estrogen generally given in hormone therapy. In the course of study, researchers conducted examination on 167 women older than 65 years of age. The concerned women were randomly assigned to receive smaller amount of estrogen or placebo. Researchers kept account of the bone mineral density of the hip, spine, wrist and the total body parts, every year for a period of three years. They also kept an eye at the markers for bone formation and bone resorption during the study.

FROM BIO MEDICINE:

Osteoporosis is a major cause of disability in older women. Estrogen therapy is often prescribed to prevent osteoporosis. However, many women are reluctant to take hormone therapy because of the increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and deep vein blood clots. Now, new research finds a lower dosage of estrogen increases bone density in women without possibly causing the problems typically associated with the standard dose of estrogen therapy.

It was found that women who were on low doses of estrogen showed an increase in their bone mineral density at all the sites compared to women on the placebo. Scientists found the markers for bone loss were too significantly decreased in women on low-dose estrogen compared to those on the placebo group.

The use of low dose of estrogen proved to be really helpful in increasing the bone density of the patients of the osteoporosis. On the basis of the report, it was concluded that osteoporosis can be cured by low doses of the estrogen steroids.

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Cataract is characterized as the clouding of the eye’s natural lens. Persons with cataracts feel that their eyes become like frosted window or yellowed. Cataracts are the common cause of vision loss for aging individuals. The common symptoms of this condition include blurring of vision, sensitivity to the light, poor night vision, and double vision in one eye.

According to studies, people who use steroids medication such as corticosteroids have higher risk of developing such condition.

From eyeSmart:

People who use both inhaled and oral steroids (corticosteroids) may be at increased risk for cataracts, according to a recent study. Many people with asthma rely on inhaled, and sometimes oral, steroids, as do people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study assessed the inhaled and/or oral steroid use and cataract status of more than 3,600 people, following them for up to ten years. Increased cataract risks were found only in patients who, at the start of the study had ever used inhaled steroids, had used oral steroids for at least one month, and had no cataracts. Although only a small number of patients met these criteria, nearly all of them—seven of 10—were found to have cataracts in follow-up exams. You should talk with your doctor if you are prescribed both oral and inhaled steroids because of the potential for increased cataract risk.

Aside from aging, steroid medications both inhaled and oral forms contribute to the development of this condition. In fact, a study that involved 3,600 asthmatic people who rely on inhaled or oral steroids revealed that seven out of 10 were found to have cataracts in follow-up exams.

Some of the medications that are associated with cataracts include psoralens, a class of drugs used along with light therapy to treat skin disorders, such as psoriasis; antipsychotic medications (chlorpromazine) and glaucoma medications.

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A steroid medication called methylprednisolone helps the recovery of vestibular neuritis patients. This was the finding in a study that included 141 patients who have vestibular neuritis. The patients were divided into several groups. One group was given methylprednisolone, another group was administered with antiviral agent, and the other group was given placebo.

Three days after the treatment, the researchers made a follow up with the patients, and another follow-up 12 months after the treatment.

From Bio-Medicine:

Vestibular neuritis causes dizziness due to a viral infection of the vestibular nerve. A person who has dizziness, imbalance and nausea could be diagnosed with vestibular neuritis.

Researchers conducted a study to see if a steroid drug, antiviral agent, or a combination of the two could improve the outcome of patients with vestibular neuritis. For the study, 141 patients who were diagnosed with vestibular neuritis were randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups. The treatment groups included the corticosteroid group (that received methylprednisolone, also known as Medrol), the antiviral agent group (that received valacyclovir, also known as Valtrex), a group that received both, and a group that received placebo. Researchers followed up with patients three days after treatment and again 12 months after treatment.

Researchers found that 62 percent of the patients on the steroid improved compared to 39 percent in the placebo group, 36 percent in the antiviral group and 59 percent in the combination group. Researchers say the antiviral drug clearly did not improve the outcome in patients with vestibular neuritis despite the assumed viral cause. In fact, the steroid-alone group had better outcomes than the steroid-antiviral combination group.

Researchers found out that 62% of the patients on the steroid improved compared to 39% in the placebo group, 36% in the antiviral group and 59 percent in the combination group. This shows that corticosteroids particularly methylprednisolone, significantly improved the recovery of vestibular neuritis patients.

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In a recently concluded study, it was revealed that separation of membranes from a part of the cell material can result in isolation of low-abundance signaling proteins. The study was centered on kinases, a class of proteins that transmit signals by allowing an exchange of phosphate ions.

It was also found that a group of kinases was identified to respond to the presence of brassinosteroids through electrophoresis. These proteins were termed as brassinosteroid signaling kinases (BSKs) by the involved researchers. Analysis procedures that followed confirmed the pivotal function in the process of brassinosteroid signaling.

The study was undertaken by Zhi-Yong Wang and Wenqinag Tang of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Plant Biology with seven co-authors and found a place in the Science Magazine.

From Bio-Medicine.Org:

Plant steroids, called brassinosteroids, are key hormones throughout the plant kingdom. They regulate many aspects of growth and development, and mutants deficient in brassinosteroids are often extremely stunted and infertile. Brassinosteroids are similar in many respects to animal steroids, but appear to function very differently at the cellular level. Animal cells respond to steroids using internal receptor molecules within the cells nucleus, whereas in plants the receptors are anchored to the outside surface of the cell membranes. A challenge for researchers has been to piece together the steps by which the hormonal signal is transmitted from the cell surface receptor to its action in the nucleus, where genes are the targets of regulation. Traditionally, genetic methods have been used to identify several components of the BR signaling pathway. However, genetic approach cannot identify all the components of a signaling pathway largely because of genetic redundancy (many genes play the same role in the cell).

To identify the links in the signal transduction chain, the researchers used the techniques of proteomics. “Proteomics is analogous to genomics,” says Wang.

BSKs are the first major signaling components that have been identified following quantitative proteomics approach in plants. These findings have helped in the establishment of connections of the steroid signaling pathway along with offering a model for both kinases signaling in plants and steroid signaled by cell-surface receptors in general. It is believed that this study will have a noticeable impact on other studies of signal transduction pathways.

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In a study recently presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, researched unveil findings that premature babies who are born before 34 weeks have a 31 percent reduction in acute ailments once they have been administered with a “rescue course” of Antenatal Corticosteroids (ACS) steroids. It is worthwhile to note that the rescue course does not involve any side-effects.

The study also revealed that rescue course of steroids can be administered to pregnant women expected to deliver prematurely. This means that complications risking life of babies are reduced by as much as a third with no adverse side-effects at all.

From Bio-Medicine.Org:

“Premature babies are very susceptible to respiratory problems which may lead to additional severe complications,” said Dr. James Kurtzman, M.D. (Associate Professor, UC Irvine Medical Center). “Antenatal steroids clearly reduce the risk of these respiratory complications.”

Years ago doctors gave multiple courses of antenatal steroids to mothers who were at risk for delivering prematurely. However, certain studies found that there were possible adverse affects to multiple ACS courses because babies were found to have slightly smaller head circumferences and lower birth weights. As a result the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommended further study.

“The effect (of the NIH recommendation) was that doctors were only giving one ACS course, and they were nervous about when to give it for the best effect. They often waited until the last minute, and some women didn’t get a complete treatment or didn’t get it at all,” said Dr. Kurtzman. “What this study has found is that we can give women who threaten to deliver prematurely an initial ACS course, and if they remain pregnant, we can give one ‘rescue course‘ closer to delivery. By doing so, the babies’ complications are reduced by about a third with no adverse side effects found.”

This study, which was supported by the Pediatrix Medical Group, is expected to give enough relief to the expecting women community. It is expected that these findings will help in minimizing the levels of neonatal mortality in the United States.

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Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness that begin with microscopic changes in the muscle. As muscles degenerate over time, the person’s muscle strength gradually declines. This disorder happens to one in every 3,500 boys between age nine and 11.

There is no definite cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, although corticosteroids or steroids can help children to walk longer by themselves, and reduce the risk of scoliosis.

From Science Daily:

Duchenne muscular dystrophy occurs in one in 3,500 boys. Symptoms start in early childhood and rapidly progress with most boys losing the ability to walk between ages nine and 11.

For the study, researchers reviewed records of 143 boys seen at the Ohio State University Muscular Dystrophy Clinic in Columbus. Of the group, 75 had been treated with corticosteroids for an average of eight years and the rest of the boys had never been treated or had received a brief dose of steroids.

The study found boys who were treated with daily steroids walked by themselves 3.3 years longer than the untreated boys and had a lower rate of scoliosis, 31 percent compared to 91 percent.

However, the study found those boys being treated with daily steroids had an increased risk of vertebral and leg fractures. Vertebral fractures occurred in 32 percent of the boys treated with steroids, whereas there were no fractures reported in the untreated group. Leg fractures were 2.6 times more common in the steroid-treated group. King said this may be due to increased body weight and that the treated boys walked longer than the untreated group.

Daily dose of steroids allow children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy to walk longer by at least 3.3 years – that is 91% of 143 boys who participated in the study. The benefits of this treatment come at a cost of its side effects including risk of vertebral and leg fractures.

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An analysis published by the British-based Cochrane Library revealed that anti-inflammatory steroids for traumatic head injuries like those from car crashes can increase the risk of death. In a study that involved 4,985 patients, 18 percent of those who were treated with corticosteroids were more likely to die from brain injury than those who did not take the drugs.

From Medicine World.Org:

The common use of anti-inflammatory steroids for traumatic head injuries like those from car crashes may actually increase the risk of death, according to a new review of studies about the therapy.

The large study found that patients treated with corticosteroids were 18 percent more likely to die from their brain injury than those who did not take the drugs. Among the patients who received steroid therapy, 21 percent, or 1,052 of the 4,985 treated, died, compared to 18 percent who received a placebo.

“The significant increase in death with steroids found in this trial suggests that steroids should no longer be routinely used in people with traumatic head injury,” says Dr. Phil Alderson, lead author of the Cochrane study.

Corticosteroids are “widely used in medicine to treat inflammation,” Alderson explains. “It is thought that some of the damage after a brain injury results from inflammation following the initial injury and that reducing inflammation might reduce this secondary injury”.

In the case of severe head injuries, the inflammation leads to swelling of the brain and its surrounding tissues, which in turns creates pressure in the skull that may lead to complications or death. Steroid use did not reduce the risks of infection among these patients, the authors concluded.

According to Dr. Alderson, corticosteroids are commonly used to treat inflammation since most doctors believe that some of the damage after a brain injury results from inflammation following the initial injury and that reducing inflammation might reduce this secondary injury.

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Anabolic steroids are known medication for body wasting disease such as AIDS. These drugs enhance the formation of new cells through efficient protein synthesis. There are two anabolic steroids available in the United States, nandrolone decanoate and oxandrolone, have been used to help increase weight and muscle mass in small studies of people with wasting.

In a review which covered 13 studies of adults age 24 to 42 with HIV, 294 of whom received anabolic steroids for at least six weeks and 238 of whom received placebo. The average weight increase in those taking anabolic steroids was nearly three pounds.

From MedicineWorld.Org:

People with HIV who are treated with anabolic steroids to prevent AIDS wasting may realize modest gains in weight and muscle mass, a new review shows.

The review covered 13 studies of adults age 24 to 42 with HIV, 294 of whom received anabolic steroids for at least six weeks and 238 of whom received placebo. The average weight increase in those taking anabolic steroids was nearly three pounds.

AIDS wasting, which leads to significant weight loss in people with HIV, causes severe loss of weight and muscle and can lead to muscle weakness, organ failure and shortened lifespan. Scientists have long sought to reverse this common, destructive effect of HIV with mixed success.

Eventhough most recently in the news for their misuse by professional athletes, anabolic steroids have legitimate medical application for men with low testosterone and people with certain types of anemia. Two anabolic steroids available in the United States, nandrolone decanoate and oxandrolone, have been used to help increase weight and muscle mass in small studies of people with wasting.

Anabolic steroids were administered to patients either orally or by injection. They produce side effects which include abnormal liver function tests; acne; mild increase in body hair; breast tenderness; increased libido, aggressiveness and irritability; and mood swings.

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A couple from Polk County was arrested Tuesday night for allegedly trading large-scale steroids. Richard Thomas and his wife Sandra are now facing 10 counts of possession of anabolic steroids with intention to sell and deliver; one count of possession of a firearm in commission of a felony; 10 counts importation of anabolic steroids into state of Florida; and one count of maintaining a residence for selling drugs.

According to Polk County officials, they were able to seize an estimated $200,000 in illegal steroids and various kinds of weapons. The officials considered the incident as the biggest seizure of steroids in Polk County history and one of the largest in the region.

From TBO.com:

Cops say they have plenty of evidence that Richard Thomas and his wife Sandra were big-time steroid dealers. At a Tuesday night press conference announcing the arrest of the pair, Polk County Sheriff’s officials were surrounded by thousands of doses of anabolic steroids.

Both Thomases were arrested Tuesday after a tip that originated from the Philadelphia office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At a 10 p.m. press conference in Lakeland, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said when the pair were arrested, detectives seized an estimated $200,000 in illegal steroids.

Richard and Sandra Thomas face a litany of identical charges: 10 counts of possession of anabolic steroids with intention to sell and deliver; one count of possession of a firearm in commission of a felony; 10 counts importation of anabolic steroids into state of Florida; one count of maintaining a residence for selling drugs.

Polk County officials and investigators are skeptical on the statements of Richard Thomas in which he claimed that he is the biggest steroid supplier in Central Florida. He also told investigators that he sold steroids to most professional athletes including Washington Capitals hockey team and Washington Nationals baseball team.

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