Burling, Fraser

Definitions

Internal medicine, also known as general medicine, is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the internal organs, especially in adults. It is a very broad area,involving a wide range of conditions affecting every part of the body. Subspecialties of internal medicine include allergy and immunology, cardiology (heart), endocrinology (hormone disorders), haematology (blood disorders), infectious diseases, gastroenterology (diseases of the intestinal tract), nephrology (kidney diseases), oncology (cancer), pulmonology (lung disorders), and rheumatology (arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders).moreMusculoskeletal medicine concerns the diagnosis and treatment of dysfunction, diseases and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. This includes bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilage andother connective tissue. Musculoskeletal disorders are very common, and people usually suffer pain and disability as a result of injury or dysfunction affecting the spine, pelvic or shoulder girdle, or to the upper and lower limbs. These may have occurred as a result of injury or of a gradual onset condition, such as osteoarthritis. There is a wide variety of treatments, including medication, pain management, exercise and rehabilitation programmes, education and support.moreRheumatology generally involves the non-surgical evaluation and treatment of rheumatic diseases and conditions. These have symptoms involving the musculoskeletal system, such as arthritis (jointinflammation). Rheumatology also involves the immune system, as many of the rheumatic diseases and conditions feature immune system abnormalities.more