Question: are rheumatism and arthritis the same thing?
Answer: What's the difference between rheumatism and arthritis? The term rheumatism is an old-fashioned word used to describe problems that affect the joints and connective tissues. Arthritis means several diseases that affect the joints, such as osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), gout, and ankylosing spondylitis.