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