Rheumatology (from the Greek word ῥεῦμα, meaning “flow”) is a branch of medicine dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases. Doctors who have received formal training in rheumatology are called rheumatologists. Rheumatologists mainly deal with disorders caused by the immune system that affect the musculoskeletal system, soft tissues, autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and hereditary connective tissue disorders.
Many of these diseases are now known to be disorders of the immune system. Rheumatology, along with allergology and immunology, is considered to be the study and practice of medical immunology.
Beginning in the 2000s, the integration of biopharmaceutical drugs (which include TNF-alpha inhibitors, certain interleukins, and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway) into healthcare has been one of the greatest advancements in modern rheumatology.
