Musculoskeletal diseases are the most widespread chronic illness in the UK and one of the top 3 reasons why the over 45s visit their GP. The ABC of Rheumatology is a practical, introductory guide to the diagnosis, management and treatment of rheumatology and rheumatic diseases for the non-specialist.

Contributors vii Preface xi List of Abbreviations xii 1 Community Rheumatology: Delivering Care Across Boundaries 1Elaine M Hay Jackie Hill and Ade Adebajo 2 Pain in the Wrist and Hand 5Michael Shipley and Elspeth Wise 3 Pain in the Neck Shoulder and Arm 12Rachelle Buchbinder and Caroline Mitchell 4 Low Back Pain 21Rajiv K Dixit and D John Dickson 5 Pain in the Hip 28Andrew J Hamer and Jeffrey N Katz 6 Pain in the Knee 32Adrian Dunbar and Mark Wilkinson 7 Pain in the Foot 38James Woodburn and Philip S Helliwell 8 Fibromyalgia Syndrome 47Sarah Ryan and Anita Campbell 9 Osteoarthritis 51Virginia Byers Kraus and Michael Doherty 10 Gout Hyperuricaemia and Crystal Arthritis 59Martin Underwood and Ade Adebajo 11 Osteoporosis 65Eugene McCloskey Nicola Peel and Richard Eastell 12 Rheumatoid Arthritis: Clinical Features and Diagnosis 71Kamran Hameed and Mohammed Akil 13 Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis 76Edwin S L Chan Anthony G Wilson and Bruce N Cronstein 14 Spondyloarthritides 79Andrew Keat and Robert Inman 15 Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis 85Taunton R Southwood and Ilona S Szer 16 Musculoskeletal Disorders in Children and Adolescents 98Helen Foster and Lori Tucker 17 Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis 107Eric L Matteson and Howard A Bird 18 Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Lupus-like Syndromes 114Caroline Gordon and Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman 19 Raynaud s Phenomenon and Scleroderma 123Christopher P Denton and Carol M Black 20 Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy 130Chris Deighton and Paul Davis 21 Is it a Connective Tissue Disease? 134Peter J Maddison and Mohammed Tikly 22 Sports and Exercise Medicine 142Cathy Speed 23 Vasculitis and Related Rashes 148Richard A Watts and David G I Scott 24 Laboratory Tests 156Cynthia Aranow Margaret J Larche and David A Isenberg 25 The Team Approach 163Janet Cushnaghan Elaine M Hay and Louise Warburton 26 Epidemiology of Rheumatic Diseases 167Alan Silman and Jacqueline Oliver Index 171