rheumatism is not the same as RA

The term "rheumatism" is still used in colloquial speech and historical
contexts, but is no longer frequently used in medical or technical
literature; it would be fair to say that there is no longer any recognized
disorder called, simply, "rheumatism". The traditional term covers such a
range of different problems that to ascribe symptoms to "rheumatism" is not
to say very much: arthritis and rheumatism between them cover at least 200
different conditions.

A vast number of traditional herbal remedies were recommended for
"rheumatism". Modern medicine, both conventional and complementary,
recognises that the different rheumatic disorders have different causes (and
several of them have multiple causes) and require different kinds of
treatment. Most sources dealing with rheumatism tend to focus on arthritis.
However "non-articular rheumatism", also known as "regional pain syndrome"
or "soft tissue rheumatism" can cause just as much discomfort and
difficulty.

The major rheumatic disorders currently recognised include:

 a.. Osteoarthritis
 b.. Rheumatoid arthritis
 c.. Rheumatic heart disease (Rheumatic fever)
 d.. Shoulder pain
 e.. Neck pain
 f.. Back pain
 g.. Fibromyalgia
 h.. Ankylosing spondylitis
 i.. Psoriatic arthritis
 j.. Systemic lupus erythematosus
 k.. Polymyalgia rheumatica
 l.. Tenosynovitis
 m.. Capsulitis
 n.. Bursitis
 o.. Rheumatic fever.
Although these disorders probably have little in common in terms of their
epidemiology, they do share two characteristics: they cause chronic (though
often intermittent) pain, and they are difficult to treat. They are also,
collectively, very common. The very long list of supposed herbal remedies
for rheumatism no doubt reflects the intractable nature of the problems it
involves, and so, perhaps, does the fact that are no fewer than six patron
saints for sufferers from rheumatism: Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori,
Saint Colman, Saint James the Greater, Saint Killian, Saint Servatus, and
Saint Totnan.

Initial therapy of the major rheumatological diseases is with paracetamol
and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), members of which are
ibuprofen and diclofenac. Often, stronger analgesics are required.