What You'll Master

• Joint Pain: A Structured Approach: Go beyond a simple diagnosis of "arthritis." You’ll learn a structured approach to assessing joint pain, including the key questions to ask to differentiate between inflammatory arthritis (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) and degenerative joint disease (e.g., osteoarthritis).
• Common Conditions: Gain the confidence to diagnose and manage common rheumatological conditions like osteoarthritis, gout, and fibromyalgia. You’ll understand evidence-based treatment strategies, from lifestyle advice to pharmacotherapy.
• Inflammatory Arthritis: Learn to recognize the red flags for inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. You’ll understand the importance of early diagnosis and prompt referral to a rheumatologist to prevent joint damage.
• Systemic Diseases: Develop the crucial skill of recognizing the systemic signs and symptoms of autoimmune conditions like lupus (SLE) and scleroderma. This section will empower you to order the right initial tests and make a timely specialist referral.
• Back Pain: Master the assessment of acute and chronic back pain. You’ll learn to identify the key red flags that suggest a serious underlying pathology, such as malignancy or cauda equina syndrome, and when to refer for urgent imaging or specialist review.