Tomorrow, Thursday, October 12, is the World Day for Rheumatic Diseases and, specifically, for Rheumatoid Arthritis, a group of pathologies that affect 25% of the Spanish population. On the occasion of this date, we have the collaboration of Dr. Juan Muñoz Ortego, specialist in Rheumatology and head of Acupuncture in Reumatek, Rheumatology unit of Teknon Medical Center and SagratCor Hospital.
Rheumatic diseases are pathologies of the bones, muscles, tendons and joints, as well as the immune system. They are characterized by being chronic, produce pain, functional impotence, disability and affect the quality of life of patients. Rheumatology is therefore the Internal Medicine of the locomotor system and, as a specialty, deals with these disorders.
There are more than 200 rheumatic diseases but, to mention the most frequent in our country, we have osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia and lupus.
In fact, the stark figures reflecting the impact of musculoskeletal diseases are significant. It is estimated that approximately 25% of the general Spanish population suffers from some rheumatic disease, according to the EPISER study carried out by the Spanish Society of Rheumatology.
Causes of rheumatic diseases and influence of genetic factors
The causes of rheumatic diseases are usually multifactorial and a large number of factors have been described for each disease. For example, in osteoporosis these are: genetics, advanced age, female sex, previous fractures, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol, intake deficits and the consumption of certain drugs.
On the other hand, genetics is key in the development of these diseases, since family history predisposes to a higher risk. However, we still do not know the exact cause of rheumatic diseases. It has been proven that genetic factors play an important role and, therefore, having a first-degree relative diagnosed with a rheumatic disease increases the risk that your child will also suffer from it.
How do I know if I suffer from rheumatic disease and what symptoms should alert me?
The main reason for consultation is pain without previous trauma. Depending on the type of rheumatic disease, it may be localized in one area of the body or another, as, for example, occurs in spondylitis, when it affects the lower back, or it may be more generalized, as in fibromyalgia.
Many patients also report a feeling of swelling and stiffness in the joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis: a joint disease that causes pain and worsens with rest.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease of immunological origin in which inflammation of one or more joints occurs, producing pain, deformity and difficulty or impossibility in joint mobilization. It is a common disease and it is estimated that 1 in 150 people in Spain suffer from it. The most characteristic symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is joint pain and swelling. The joints most frequently affected are the wrists, knuckles (metacarpophalangeal), small joints of the fingers and toes (interphalangeal), elbows, knees and ankles. It also tends to occur symmetrically, affecting the right and left sides equally. The pain worsens with rest and improves with movement. This is why patients often explain the characteristic “morning stiffness” when they wake up, which can last for several hours. To cope with it, the inflammation must first be treated and then personalized physical exercise training must be carried out.
Making life easier for the patient, the goal of innovative treatments
Today, thanks to innovative treatments in rheumatology, it is possible to “put diseases to sleep” and greatly improve the quality of life of rheumatic patients. The priority advice is for the patient to visit a rheumatologist who will help him/her to personalize his/her treatment, lifestyle, physical activity and tailored nutritional habits.
We currently have advanced therapies, such as the so-called biological treatments, which selectively block the inflammatory process of arthritis; other cutting-edge therapies such as platelet-enriched plasma infiltrations for osteoarthritis and new transdermal auricular neuromodulation techniques for fibromyalgia.