Rheumatology

Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system starts attacking your body’s own organs and tissues.

Back pain or backache is the pain felt in the back that may originate from damage to the muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine.

Sacroiliac joints are present in the lower back where the sacrum part of the vertebrae joins the iliac bones. The term ankylosis stands for loss of mobility of the spine, whereas spondylitis means inflammation of the spine.

Spondyloarthropathies are a group of chronic inflammatory diseases of the spine and joints. Spondyloarthropathies can occur at any age, however, they occur more often in young males.

Vasculitis also known as angiitis or arteritis is a rare autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the blood vessels.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by a decrease in bone mass and density resulting in brittle, fragile bones that are more susceptible to fractures. It is often called a "silent disease," as a majority of patients may be unaware of their condition until they develop a bone fracture.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a rare autoimmune disorder defined by recurring blood clots (thromboses) that can block blood vessels (arteries and veins).

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease in which the lining of your joints becomes inflamed, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Inflammation of the joints is referred to as arthritis. The inflammation arises when the smooth covering (cartilage) at the end surfaces of the bones wears away.

Psoriatic arthritis is a joint condition that occurs as a result of psoriasis, a scaling skin disorder. Psoriasis typically causes joints to become inflamed, swollen, stiff or painful.

Osteoarthritis also called degenerative joint disease, is the most common form of arthritis. It occurs most often in older people. This disease affects the tissue covering the ends of bones in a joint (cartilage).

Reactive arthritis, formerly known as Reiter's syndrome, is a type of arthritis that develops in response to an infection in another area of the body, most commonly the intestines, genitals, or urinary tract.

Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory condition that causes stiffness and muscle pain around the neck, arms, hips, and shoulders. The condition affects adults over the age of 50, especially women.

Paget's disease of bone is a condition characterized by impairment of the body's normal bone recycling process, resulting in the formation of soft or misshapen bones that can be easily fractured.

Gout is a very common, painful form of arthritis which causes swelling, redness and stiffness of the joints. Gout is caused by increased levels of uric acid in the tissues and blood from abnormal metabolism.

Pseudogout is a type of arthritis that is characterized by the development of a painful swelling that occurs suddenly in one or more joints.

Lupus is an autoimmune inflammatory condition in which your body’s defense system attacks parts of your own body. Lupus may involve only the skin (discoid lupus) or many other parts of the body (systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE) such as the heart, lungs, blood, and joints.

Myositis is a group of rare diseases defined by inflamed muscles, which can cause prolonged muscle weakness, pain, and fatigue.

Myopathy is a group of neuromuscular disorders, characterized by muscle weakness and dysfunction of muscle fibers, caused by abnormalities in the structure and metabolism of muscle cells.

Scleroderma, also referred to as systemic sclerosis, is an autoimmune disorder in which normal tissue is replaced with dense, thick fibrous tissue.

Sarcoidosis is an autoimmune condition in which inflammatory tissue called granulomas develop in multiple organs of the body, especially the lungs.

The term arthritis literally means inflammation of a joint but is generally used to describe any condition in which there is damage to the cartilage.

The term arthritis literally means inflammation of a joint, but it is generally used to describe any condition in which there is damage to the cartilage, the tissue that lines the ends of bones in a joint.

Strenuous activities of daily living can stress the back resulting in pain. It is natural at this time to withdraw from activity and rest, but is not helpful in the long run and may actually slow down the healing process.