Rheumatology

Rheumatology is a sub-specialty devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of conditions and diseases affecting the joints, muscles, and bones. The term rheumatology originates from the Greek word rheuma, meaning ‘that which flows as a river or stream’, and the suffix –ology, meaning ‘the study of’.

Rheumatology is a rapidly evolving medical specialty, with advancements owing largely to new scientific discoveries about the immunology of these disorders. Because the characteristics of some rheumatological disorders are often best explained by immunology, the pathogenesis of many major rheumatological disorders are now described in terms of the autoimmune system, viz., as an autoimmune disease.