Rheumatic Diseases

The term “rheumatic diseases” encompasses over 100 disorders that involve joint and muscle pain as primary symptoms. Our program contains information on management of the six major rheumatic diseases and arthritis in general. The approach presented here focuses on the whole person, not just the disease.

Joint and muscle pain in a single joint or several joints can affect every aspect of a person’s life: mood, functional ability, sleep, exercise, energy level and ability to work. Because behavior and daily activities can impact brain chemistry and the immune system, the way a person exercises, sleeps, copes with illness, and manages their daily activities all can have a positive or negative impact on the rheumatic disease itself, pain levels, and specifically upon inflammation.