Patient guides

Rheumatic & autoimmune conditions treated

17 detailed guides written for patients — what the condition actually is, the symptoms that distinguish it from the things it gets confused with, how it is diagnosed, what current treatment involves, and the warning signs that mean you should not wait for your next appointment.

Close-up of a pair of older hands resting togetherIllustrative

Inflammatory Arthritis

2 conditions

Hand and wrist joints are where rheumatoid arthritis most often declares itself.

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Also called: RA, संधिवात

    Symmetric small-joint swelling that responds best when treated within the first 12 weeks.

    5 FAQsRead →
  • Polymyalgia Rheumatica

    Also called: PMR

    Sudden shoulder and hip stiffness after 50 that responds to steroids within days.

    3 FAQsRead →
Blood sample tubes in a laboratory rackIllustrative

Connective Tissue Disease

6 conditions

Anti-CCP, RF, ESR and CRP are ordered to answer a specific question — not as a routine panel.

  • Lupus (SLE)

    Also called: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, SLE

    A multi-system autoimmune disease where early kidney screening changes the entire prognosis.

    4 FAQsRead →
  • Sjögren's Syndrome

    Also called: Sicca Syndrome

    Dry eyes and dry mouth that deserve investigation rather than eye drops alone.

    3 FAQsRead →
  • Scleroderma

    Also called: Systemic Sclerosis, SSc

    Skin tightening that signals a disease needing yearly heart and lung surveillance.

    3 FAQsRead →
  • Myositis

    Also called: Dermatomyositis, Polymyositis, Inflammatory Myopathy

    Weakness — not pain — is the defining symptom, and it needs urgent investigation.

    3 FAQsRead →
  • Raynaud's Phenomenon

    Also called: Raynaud's Disease, Cold Fingers

    Usually harmless — but sometimes the first sign of autoimmune disease years in advance.

    3 FAQsRead →
  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome

    Also called: APS, Hughes Syndrome, Sticky Blood Syndrome

    The clotting and miscarriage disorder that is diagnosed on repeated — not single — antibody tests.

    3 FAQsRead →
A therapist's hands assessing a patient's lower backIllustrative

Spondyloarthritis

3 conditions

Inflammatory back pain is worse at rest and better with movement — the opposite of a mechanical strain.

  • Ankylosing Spondylitis

    Also called: Axial Spondyloarthritis, AS, axSpA

    The back pain that improves with exercise and worsens with rest — and is missed for years.

    4 FAQsRead →
  • Psoriatic Arthritis

    Also called: PsA

    When psoriasis moves into the joints — often years after the first skin patch.

    3 FAQsRead →
  • Reactive Arthritis

    Also called: ReA, Post-infectious Arthritis

    Arthritis that follows an infection elsewhere — usually self-limiting, occasionally not.

    3 FAQsRead →
Close-up of tablets in a blister packIllustrative

Crystal & Metabolic

2 conditions

Conventional DMARDs control the majority of patients and cost a fraction of biologics.

  • Gout

    Also called: Gouty Arthritis, Crystal Arthritis, High Uric Acid

    The most curable form of arthritis — and the most commonly mistreated.

    4 FAQsRead →
  • Pseudogout (CPPD)

    Also called: Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease, CPPD

    Gout's mimic — same fury, different crystal, different treatment.

    3 FAQsRead →
Hands holding light dumbbells during a strengthening exerciseIllustrative

Bone & Soft Tissue

3 conditions

Supervised strengthening relieves knee osteoarthritis about as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, without the risks.

  • Osteoarthritis

    Also called: OA, Degenerative Joint Disease, Knee Arthritis

    India's most common joint disease — and far more treatable than 'nothing can be done'.

    4 FAQsRead →
  • Osteoporosis

    Also called: Brittle Bone Disease, Low Bone Density

    Silent until the first fracture — which is exactly why it should be screened for, not waited for.

    4 FAQsRead →
  • Fibromyalgia

    Also called: Chronic Widespread Pain, FMS

    Real pain from a genuinely altered nervous system — not 'all in the mind'.

    4 FAQsRead →
Gloved hands drawing medication from a vial in a laboratory settingIllustrative

Vasculitis

1 condition

Biologic therapy is prepared and monitored under strict infection-screening protocols.

  • Vasculitis

    Also called: ANCA-associated Vasculitis, Takayasu Arteritis, Giant Cell Arteritis

    Inflammation of blood vessels — where days of delay can cost sight, kidneys or life.

    3 FAQsRead →

Cannot find your condition?

Rheumatology covers well over a hundred diagnoses, and this library lists the ones most commonly seen at the clinic. Behçet's disease, sarcoidosis, adult-onset Still's disease, relapsing polychondritis, IgG4-related disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and undifferentiated connective tissue disease are all managed here too.

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