Diagnosis and Management of Rheumatic Diseases

Rheumatic diseases are the conditions that cause chronic and intermittent pain, and affect the joints and the connective tissue. Some rheumatic diseases are autoimmune in origin such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, etc. Different rheumatic disorders are caused due to different reasons and all require different kinds of treatment. The most common symptoms include intermittent pain, swelling, warmth, and stiffness. Rheumatism severely affects vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, nervous system, lungs, etc. Rheumatic disorders are diagnosed using physical examination followed by specialized laboratory and imaging tests. The initial therapy of rheumatological diseases is usually through analgesics, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), etc. Physiotherapy and occupational therapy are other recommended treatment techniques for these diseases. The topics included in this book on the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases are of utmost significance and bound to provide incredible insights to readers. Through it, an attempt has been made to further enlighten the readers about the new concepts on these diseases.