Information on Rheumatology/Rheumatic Diseases

Rheumatology is the medical specialty that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of non-traumatic disorders of the musculoskeletal system, as well as diseases of the immune system that attack the body’s own tissues(autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases). These diseases often manifest as joint involvement but can also affect other systems of the body, such as the eyes, the nervous system, the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, the kidneys, the digestive system, the hematopoietic and endocrine systems.

Rheumatic diseases can affect people of all ages and both genders.

Pain that may be localized in or around the joints and persists for more than a few days. Common areas of the body where pain may occur include the wrists and fingers and toes, the elbows, the shoulders, knees, hips, lower back, back, and neck.

A characteristic symptom is stiffness, that is, difficulty moving the joints, especially in the morning or after periods of inactivity. Other symptoms include weakness, swelling, redness, or warmth in the joints. Rheumatic conditions may also be accompanied by a feeling of fatigue, malaise, headache, and fever.

Other symptoms include rashes, hair loss, sensitivity to the sun, redness or pain in the eyes, dry eyes, dry mouth, sores in the mouth or on the tongue, digestive symptoms or inflammatory bowel disease, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or fingers that change color when exposed to cold.

In rheumatic diseases, early diagnosis and treatment are particularly important. If the disease becomes chronic, it can cause irreversible damage to the body. Examples of irreversible damage include the formation of erosions in the joints, as seen in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and other inflammatory arthritides, ultimately resulting in joint deformity and loss of function. Other examples of irreversible damage include ankylosis and restricted mobility of the spine in ankylosing spondylitis, fibrosis and functional impairment of organs affected by rheumatic diseases, such as the lungs, kidneys, muscles, and other organs.

Rheumatic diseases are diagnosed by a rheumatologist based on the patient’s medical history, a physical examination, and, when deemed necessary, blood tests and imaging studies.

Treatment is personalized, as there is no single medication that cures all rheumatic diseases. Furthermore, rheumatic diseases can present with different symptoms in each person, and therefore treatment targets the specific manifestations in each case.

Nowadays, there is a wide range of pharmaceutical options that not only help relieve pain but also modify the course of the disease by targeting molecular, pathogenic mechanisms. Pain management is a primary concern for rheumatologists. In many cases, pain relief is achieved by treating the inflammatory response that causes the symptoms of the disease. In other cases, depending on the specific condition, different therapeutic approaches to pain management are required.

The treatment of rheumatic diseases includes not only medications but, depending on the specific condition, other treatment options such as physical therapy, surgery, joint injections, and more.