 rheumatology (greek ÏÎµÏÎ¼Î±, rheuma, river) is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. clinicians who specialize in rheumatology are called rheumatologists. rheumatologists deal mainly with clinical problems involving joints, soft tissues, autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and heritable connective tissue disorders. many of these diseases are now known to be disorders of the immune system, and rheumatology is increasingly the study of immunology. == rheumatism == rheumatism is a colloquial term referring to any painful disorder affecting the loco-motor system including joints, muscles, connective tissues, soft tissues around the joints, and bones. this also includes rheumatic heart disease, which is specific to heart valves but has symptoms similar to rheumatic fever, which typically develops after a streptococcal infection. rheumatologists are clinicians dealing with arthritis and other rheumatological disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, systemic lupus erythematosus. one of the major changes in modern rheumatology is the development of new drugs called biologics, or disease modifying agents, which can control severe disease more effectively.rheumatology (oxford). 2012 dec;51 suppl 6:vi28-36. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kes278. == rheumatologist ==  a rheumatologist is a physician specialized in the field of medical sub-specialty called rheumatology, and holds either a board certification after specialized training after attaining a medical degree (m.d. or d.o.) through fellowship programs in the united states, or specialist registrar positions in the united kingdom, or dm in india or equivalent programs elsewhere in the world. in the united states, training in this field requires four years undergraduate school, four years of medical school, and then three years of residency, followed by two or three years additional fellowship training. the requirements may vary in other countries. rheumatologists are [[internist
Rheumatology