Abu Dhabi-based Al Rahba Hospital, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, has inaugurated a new Rheumatology Clinic.

The clinic offers treatment for patients suffering from rheumatic disorders, a condition that afflicts 20 per cent of the UAE population in some form during their lifetime. Currently, the clinic is open two days a week, where it offers treatment of various disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

“The specialised Rheumatology Clinic will ensure that patients can be provided specialised help and treatment to manage the disease,” said Dr Roman Stancik, Rheumatologist at Al Rahba Hospital.

Rheumatic disorders are hard to generalize due to the various origin, symptoms and conditions they result in. However, osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease is the most common joint disorder. It may affect almost every joint of the body, but most commonly the knees, hips and small joints of the hand.

The prevalence of this disease increases with aging; about 60-90 per cent people over the age of 65 are affected. Main symptoms are the joint pain and progressive loss of mobility. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a common type of inflammatory rheumatic disease. It primary affects the joints, but other organs (eg. skin, lungs or kidney) may be involved too. About 1 per cent of world’s population suffers from this disease, with women 3 times more likely to suffer than men.

Typical symptoms of RA are painful, swollen joints associated with stiffness and limited movement. In contrary to osteoarthritis, the onset of RA is most common in age between 40 and 50 but very young people are often affected too. The cause of this disease is unknown. Long-term medical care with regularly scheduled visits in rheumatology clinic is essential for the treatment.

Al Rahba Hospital is part of the Seha HealthSystem and is owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the emirate.-TradeArabia News Service