Things to Know About Arthritis Care (Part 1)
It is important to know more about arthritis care as a way to be aware of the mechanisms and framework of maintaining such medical situations.
The networking/referral systems between specialists and generalists caring for rheumatic disease patients will produce a broad-based national registry of rheumatic diseases among Filipinos.
When treating rheumatologycal issues, it is important to ask these key questions:
• Do you have pain or stiffness in your joints or spine?
• Do you have difficulties with walking, climbing stairs or getting up from bed?
• Do you have difficulties with dressing up?
In addition to taking the history of the patient’s illness, these key questions assess problems related to most ports of the musculoskeletal system including mints, muscles and any impairment in the activities of daily living.
The musculoskeletal exam must be focused and systematic.
The “5-minute musculoskeletal exam” covers key areas of the musculoskeletal system in just a few minutes.
There is a list for possible problems such as:
• Soft tissue rheumatism
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Gout
• Systemic lupus erythentatosus
• Septic arthritis
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Scleroderma
• Henoch-Schonlein purpura
Next week we will be discussing the categories related to arthritis/rheumatism care.