Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including arthritis and "non-articular rheumatism", also known as "regional pain syndrome" or "soft tissue rheumatism".<ref name="urleMedicine - Nonarticular Rheumatism/Regional Pain Syndrome : Article by Daniel Muller"></ref> There is a close overlap between the term soft tissue disorder and rheumatism. Sometimes the term "soft tissue rheumatic disorders" is used to describe these conditions. The term "Rheumatic Diseases" is used in MeSH to refer to connective tissue disorders. The  branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatism is called rheumatology. Types. Many rheumatic disorders of chronic, intermittent pain (including joint pain, neck pain or back pain) have historically been caused by infectious diseases. Their etiology was unknown until the 20th century and not treatable. Postinfectious arthritis, also known as reactive arthritis, and rheumatic fever are other examples. Major rheumatic disorders can be divided into 10 major categories based on the nomenclature and classification proposed by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 1983, and they are: Management. Initial therapy of the major rheumatological diseases is with  analgesics, such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Steroids, especially glucocorticoids, and stronger analgesics are often required for more severe cases. History. The term "rheumatism" stems from the Late Latin "rheumatismus", ultimately from Greek ῥευματίζομαι "to suffer from a flux", with "rheum" meaning bodily fluids, i.e. any discharge of blood or bodily fluid. Before the 17th century, the joint pain which was thought to be caused by viscous humours seeping into the joints was always referred to as gout, a word adopted in Middle English from Old French "gote" "a drop; the gout, rheumatism", not to be  confused with the present day specific term referring to excess of uric acid. The English term "rheumatism" in the current sense has been in use since the late 17th century, as it was believed that chronic joint pain was caused by excessive flow of "rheum" which means bodily fluids into a joint.