American College of Rheumatology

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is an ethically-driven, professional membership organization committed to improving the care of patients with rheumatic disease and advancing the rheumatology sub-specialty. Its headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia, US.

Mission
Founded in 1934, they are a not-for-profit, global medical society that serves over 8,400 physicians, health professionals, and scientists worldwide. They are a professional membership organization committed to improving the care of patients with rheumatic disease and advancing the rheumatology sub-specialty.

Types of rheumatic diseases

 * Osteoarthritis, the most prevalent type of arthritis, which primarily affects and destroys cartilage, the soft tissue that cushions the ends of bones within joints


 * Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the synovium, a soft tissue that lines the joints, leading to inflammation


 * Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition marked by tender points and localized pain throughout the musculoskeletal system


 * Systemic lupus erythematosus, or simply lupus, an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation in numerous parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, blood, lungs, heart, and brain


 * Gout, a type of arthritis that develops when needle-like crystals of uric acid deposit in the joints, most often those of the big toe


 * Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, the most common form of arthritis in children, which may be accompanied by fevers and rashes


 * Infectious arthritis, or arthritis that's caused by an infection, such as Lyme disease or Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria behind gonorrhea


 * Psoriatic arthritis, a type of arthritis (and also considered a spondlyoarthropathy) that affects the fingers and toes and is associated with the skin disease psoriasis


 * Polymyositis, which affects the muscles and can affect the entire body


 * Bursitis, an inflammation of the bursas small fluid-filled sacs that reduce friction between bones


 * Ankylosing spondylitis, the most common spondyloarthropathy, which may affect the hips, shoulders, and knees, in addition to the spine


 * Reactive arthritis, or Reiter's syndrome, a spondlyoarthropathy that develops after an infection of the urinary tract, bowels, or other organs


 * Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, an autoimmune rheumatic disease that leads to a thickening and tightening of the skin and inflammation and scarring in various other parts of the body, including the blood vessels, joints, and certain organs


 * Polymyalgia rheumatica, which causes pain and stiffness in tendons, muscles, ligaments, and tissues around joints

Online presence

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Learn more

 * American College of Rheumatology Website