Patient Information

Patient information on conditions Patient information on treatment Other patient information


Patient information on conditions

Ankylosing Spondylitis Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) predominantly affects the spine and may lead to severe stiffness of the back. This booklet aims to tell you something about the complaint and how it may affect your health and activity.
Antiphospholipid Syndrome Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a disorder in which the blood has a tendency to clot too quickly ('sticky blood syndrome'). The clotting can affect any vein or artery in the body, resulting in a wide range of symptoms.

Back Pain Four out of five of us get back pain at some time and most bouts do get better in a short time. This booklet is aimed at people who have more persistent (long-lasting) back pain. It explains some of the causes of back pain and what you can do to manage it and prevent it happening again.

 Behçet's Syndrome This booklet is for anyone who wants to find out more about Behçet's syndrome - or Behçet's disease, as it is also known. We explain the main facts about Behçet's syndrome, including the main symptoms and how it is treated.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve running from the forearm to the wrist gets squeezed - often because the surrounding tendons become swollen. Symptoms include aching, numbness or tingling in the hand and fingers.

 Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is a name for widespread pain affecting the muscles but not the joints. It will not cause permanent damage to the tissues but the symptoms may last for months or years.

 Gout Gout has been known for more than 2,000 years. It can affect men of any age. It is less common in women and then only occurs after the menopause. Luckily, gout is probably the rheumatic disease for which there is the most satisfactory treatment.

 Hypermobility If you have joint hypermobility, this booklet will help you, your family and friends. It explains what joint hypermobility is, what causes it, the usual sypmtoms, and what can be done to treat it.

 Lupus (SLE) This booklet is written for people with lupus and their families and friends. It explains how lupus develops, how it affects different parts of the body, how it can affect people in different ways, and how doctors diagnose it.

 Osteoarthritis This booklet aims to help people who have osteoarthritis, and their families and friends. It helps you understand osteoarthritis - how it develops, and how to deal with it.

 Osteoporosis The word 'osteoporosis' means, literally, 'porous bone'. It is a condition where you gradually lose bone material so that your bones become more fragile. As a result, they are more likely to break even after a simple fall. This booklet has been produced for anyone interested in finding out more about osteoporosis.

Osteomalacia (Soft Bones) Osteomalacia is a condition which affects the skeleton. It is is often, but not always, caused by lack of vitamin D. The people most often affected are the frail elderly and people of South Asian origin.

 Pain in the Neck In this booklet we explain how the neck works and the common causes of neck pain and related conditions. We describe simple ways of dealing with neck pain as well as the main medical and complementary treatments.

 Paget's Disease of Bone This booklet has been produced for anyone suffering from Paget's disease of bone. It explains what the condition is, how it is diagnosed, and how it can be treated.

 Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a condition in which you have many (poly) painful muscles (myalgia). It is common and very treatable with drugs known as corticosteroids (steroids).

 Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis 'Myositis' means inflammation of the muscles. Polymyositis is a condition which affects mainly the larger muscles of the body, such as those around the shoulders, hips and thighs. This booklet also deals with dermatomyositis which causes a particular skin rash with muscle inflammation that is similar to polymyositis.

Pseudogout and Calcium Crystal Diseases This booklet explains how calcium crystals can cause sudden attacks of inflammation. When this happens in joints it is called 'pseudogout'. This literally means 'false-gout', so-called because the attack of inflammation resembles gout. This booklet describes how these short-lived painful attacks are investigated and treated.

 Psoriatic Arthritis This is a type of arthritis which causes inflammation in and around the joints, usually in people who already have the skin condition psoriasis. Sometimes, however, the arthritis develops before the psoriasis.

 Raynaud's Phenomenon If you have Raynaud's phenomenon your hands, and sometimes your feet, change colour when exposed to cold conditions. This is often accompanied by pain, coldness and tingling. Typically the hands go white, then blue, then red as they warm up again.

Reactive Arthritis This booklet is for anyone who wants to find out more about reactive arthritis. You may be suffering from the condition yourself, or you may be a friend, relative or partner of someone with reactive arthritis.

 Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) This booklet has been produced for anyone interested in finding out more about reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). Many people now prefer the term 'complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)' to 'RSD'.

 Rheumatoid Arthritis This booklet aims to help people who have rhematoid arthritis, and their families and friends. It helps you understand rheumatoid arthritis - how it develops, and how to deal with it.

 Scleroderma The word 'scleroderma' means 'hard skin'. However, many people with scleroderma have problems not only with their skin but with other parts of their bodies as well. The condition is also known as 'systemic sclerosis'.

 Sjögren's Syndrome The most common symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome are dry eyes or a dry mouth (sometimes both together), and feeling very tired and aching. Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder, meaning that the body's immune system, which usually fights infections, attacks the body's own tissues.

 Shoulder Pain This booklet explains why people get shoulder pain and discusses the usual conditions which cause problems. Most shoulder problems settle with simple treatments, but more complex treatments, such as arthroscopy and other forms of surgery, are also discussed.

 Sports and Exercise Injuries

 Tennis Elbow This condition, also known as 'lateral epicondylitis' can be caused by a variety of activities, of which is tennis is only one. It usually arises when the tendons coming from the muscle of the forearm become inflamed at the point where they join the elbow. Although it is painful it is not damaging, and there are usually no long-term effects.

 Vasculitis Vasculitis means inflammation of the blood vessels. This booklet explains what vasculitis is, how it is recognised, how it is treated and what you can do to help your treatment.

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Patient information on treatment


Joint and soft tissue injections If you have an inflamed or swollen joint, or if you have pain or inflammation near a joint, your doctor may inject a steroid preparation into the affected area. It is known as a local injection because it acts only in that area.

 Adalimumab (Humira) Adalimumab (brand name Humira) is a type of drug known as anti-TNF. In people with rheumatoid arthritis and some other inflammatory diseases a protein called TNF is present in the blood and joints in excessive amounts, where it increases inflammation.

 Azathioprine Azathioprine is used in the treatment of several different types of rheumatic disease, including rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

 Ciclosporin Ciclosporin (brand name Neoral) is used for rheumatoid arthritis to reduce pain, swelling and stiffness. It is also used for a number of other conditions, including psoriatic arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

 Cyclophosphamide Cyclophosphamide is used for several different types of rheumatic disease, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), diseases which inflame the walls of blood vessels (e.g. polyarteritis nodosa), and sometimes for rheumatoid arthritis.

Drugs for Osteoporosis This sheet gives information about the various drugs used to treat osteoporosis. It describes how they are taken, typical side-effects, whether any special monitoring is required, and further information as appropriate.

 Etanercept Etanercept (brand name Enbrel) is a type of drug known as anti-TNF. In people with rheumatoid arthritis and some other inflammatory diseases a protein called TNF is present in the blood and joints in excessive amounts, where it increases inflammation.

Gold by Intramuscular Injection Intramuscular gold injections can reduce the inflammation in your joints and decrease pain, swelling and stiffness. Sometimes gold is also used to treat other rheumatic diseases, such as psoriatic arthritis.

 Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) Although the drug hydroxychloroquine (brand name Plaquenil) is used in the treatment of malaria, it is also effective for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It can reduce inflammation and so reduce pain, swelling and stiffness of joints and improve the rash of SLE.

 Iloprost Iloprost is a man-made version of a substance produced naturally in your body, called prostacyclin. It is prescribed for people with severe circulatory problems, for example ulcers of the fingers in people with scleroderma or related conditions.

 Infliximab (Remicade) Infliximab (brand name Remicade) is a type of drug known as anti-TNF. In people with rheumatoid arthritis and some other inflammatory diseases a protein called TNF is present in the blood and joints in excessive amounts, where it increases inflammation.

 Intravenous Immunoglobulin Intravenous immunoglobulin, or IV Ig (immunoglobulin given by injection into a vein), can dampen down some inflammatory diseases involving the immune system. It can reduce inflammation in people with polymyositis and dermatomyositis and is sometimes used in people with lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE), adult-onset Still's disease, vasculitis or antiphospholipid syndrome.

 Leflunomide (Arava) Leflunomide (brand name Arava) is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other types of arthritis where the immune system (the body's own defence system) attacks its own tissues.

 Methotrexate Methotrexate is used to treat several different types of rheumatic disease, including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Methotrexate can reduce inflammation and also can affect the immune system (the body's own defence system).

 Mycophenolate (Cellcept) Mycophenolate mofetil (brand name CellCept) is used in the treatment of several different types of rheumatic disease, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and diseases in which there is inflammation of blood vessels ('vasculitis').

 Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs There are many different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, indometacin, diclofenac and ketoprofen. The name means they reduce pain and stiffness due to inflammation of the joints, without using steroids.

 Rituximab (MabThera) Rituximab (brand name MabThera) is a new type of drug which removes antibody-producing white blood cells called B-cells. Antibodies are proteins which are produced by the body in response to germs, viruses or any other substances which the body sees as foreign or dangerous.

 Steroid Tablets Steroids can help with several different types of rheumatic disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). They are very effective against swelling and inflammation. However, they only suppress the disease and do not cure it.

Sulfasalazine Sulfasalazine can reduce the symptoms and slow the progress of rheumatoid arthritis and other types of arthritis, such as psoriatic arthritis. It may reduce the inflammation in your joints and decrease pain, swelling and stiffness.

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Other patient information

Introducing Arthritis This booklet is designed to give you some helpful information about arthritis and other joint problems. It explains the general terms 'arthritis' and 'rheumatism' and describes the four main types of rheumatic diseases (there are about 200 individual conditions). It also looks briefly at the causes and treatments, and issues around living with these conditions.

 A New Hip Joint You may need a hip replacement operation (sometimes called a total hip replacement, or THR) if your hip joint is badly damaged by arthritis. This booklet is written for anyone considering a hip replacement operation or other types of hip surgery such as resurfacing.

 A New Knee Joint If you are thinking about having a new knee joint there may be lots of questions on your mind. This booklet aims to provide the most up-to-date information on the options available and to answer the questions which people most often ask.

 Caring for a Person with Arthritis This booklet is designed to help you care for someone with arthritis, either as a family member or as a friend. It will help you understand more about arthritis and about the usual problems which affect people with arthritis. It also makes suggestions on how you can offer practical help.

 Complementary Therapies and Arthritis There are a wide variety of complementary therapies. They range from ancient systems of medicine, such as acupuncture, homoeopathy and herbalism to treatments such as massage and aromatherapy. This booklet will help you decide whether complementary therapies could help your arthritis.

 Diet and Arthritis There is a great deal of advice about diet and nutritional supplements for arthritis and rheumatism in magazines, books, and on the internet. Much of it is confusing. This booklet explains how the food you eat might affect your arthritis and answers the most common questions which people ask about this subject.

 Feet, Footwear and Arthritis If you have arthritis, and you also have problems in your feet, this booklet will help you to understand why some of these problems arise. It will explain how these problems can be treated, what you can do to help yourself, how to choose the best shoes for your feet, and where to go for help when you need it.

Gardening and Arthritis Looking after your garden can be a problem if you have arthritis or a related condition. This booklet gives advice on protecting your joints, special tools, and making your garden easier to manage.

 Hand and Wrist Surgery for Arthritis For most people with arthritis in their hands surgery is unnecessary and only those people with severe pain or hands which work very poorly may need an operation. This booklet describes some of the occasions where hand or wrist surgery may be an option, or where it may be standard procedure.

 Sexuality and Arthritis Arthritis can have major effects on all aspects of a person's life including your personal relationships and sex life. This booklet discusses common problems and gives advice on how they might be dealt with.

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