ABSTRACT
This chapter presents information or guidance regarding musculoskeletal medicine for use by medical, scientific or health-care professionals. It is vital to identify patients with a likely underlying inflammatory arthritis quickly in order to allow prompt referral and early and aggressive disease management as it has been shown that this affects the prognosis in inflammatory arthritides. Stiffness that improves with exercise, swelling and heat are important features that indicate an inflammatory cause. Many arthritides are associated with systemic symptoms. Extra-articular features may provide useful clues as to the underlying pathology. Ruptured and dissected aortic aneurysms commonly present with severe back/loin pain in patients. The patient's perspective and social history are very important as chronic back pain is one of the commonest causes of long-term disability and sickness. Chronic back pain is defined as that lasting longer than 6 weeks.
