Rheumatology is an indispensable resource for physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other health professionals, offering practical approaches to the treatment and management of rheumatic musculoskeletal conditions. The text focuses on applying evidence-based understanding of these conditions to clinical context. The specific disease chapters cover: incidence and prevalence of the condition; clinical presentation and diagnosis; red flags; clinical assessment; important first treatments, early intermediate and long term management; prognosis and long term outcomes. Supporting case histories of increasing complexity and study activities illustrate the clinical relevance of the treatment and management approaches. • Multidisciplinary team approach • Practical solutions to management of conditions supported by the latest research • Case histories of increasing complexity consolidate understanding and develop clinical reasoning • Highlighted boxes throughout contain study tasks and key messages

Compiled by Cochrane collaborators and members of OMERACT (Outcome Measures in Rheumatology), Evidence-based Rheumatology is an essential resource for evidence-based medicine as applied to the musculoskeletal disorders. The introductory section covers the principles of evidence-based medicine in rheumatology, followed by clinical chapters covering all the major disorders. Each chapter includes non-drug therapy, drug therapy, and consumer evidence-based summaries. Evidence-Based Series: Evidence-based Rheumatology, part of the acclaimed series BMJ Evidence-based medicine textbooks that have revolutionised clinical medicine literature, comes with a fully searchable CD-ROM of the whole text. The text is kept up to date online at www.evidbasedrheum.com Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

The guideline covers the management of people with rheumatoid arthritis all the way through the disease process - from early identification to sever disease.