Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS)
Fibromyalgia is condition that causes generalised pain and muscle stiffness. Which can be felt in different areas of the body. Extreme fatigue (tiredness) and sleep problems are also common in fibromyalgia. People living with fibromyalgia will experience different symptoms, and some people may have worse pain than others.
Fibromyalgia is different to polymyalgia rheumatica, a type of arthritis which is covered below.
The resources below provide general information about Fibromyalgia.
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)
Polymyalgia rheumatica means ‘pain in many muscles’. It is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints and tissues, this causes muscle pain and stiffness. The main areas of the body affected are the hips and shoulders.
Polymyalgia rheumatica is different to fibromyalgia.
To learn more about polymyalgia rheumatica download the information sheet below.
Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) is a serious symptom of PMR, it is important to know the signs and symptoms and seek medical treatment if you are concerned.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus)
Lupus is a group of autoimmune conditions, Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common type.
To learn more about SLE, download the information sheet to help you understand how you may be affected and what you can do to manage it, as well as where to find further information and advice.
For more resources for Lupus, visit the Better Health Channel website.
Sjögren’s Syndrome
Sjögren’s Syndrome is an autoimmune condition. Symptoms include dryness of the mouth, eyes and/or other tissues.
To learn more about Sjögren’s Syndrome, visit the eLearning, download the information sheet to help you understand how you may be affected and what you can do to manage it, as well as where to find further information and advice.
Myositis
Myositis is a group of rare conditions. The body’s immune system turns against itself and attacks healthy muscle tissue.
To learn more about Myositis visit the Myositis Association Australia website or to access our ‘Nutrition and Myositis’ eLearning by following the links below.
Haemochromatotic Arthritis
To learn more about haemochromatosis, download the information sheet or visit the website.
Ross River Virus and Barmah Forest Virus
To learn more about these conditions download the information sheet or visit the SA Health website.
Reactive Arthritis
Reactive arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation, pain and swelling of the joints. It usually develops after an infection, often in the bowel or genital areas. The infection causes activity in the immune system. The normal role of your body’s immune system is to fight off infections to keep you healthy. In some people this activity of the immune system causes joints to become inflamed, however the joints themselves are not actually infected.
About one in ten people with specific types of infections will develop reactive arthritis. To learn more about reactive arthritis download the information sheet to help you understand how you may be affected and what you can do to manage it, as well as where to find further information and advice.
Spondyloarthritis
‘Spondylo’ means affecting the spine and ‘arthritis’ means joint disease.
Spondyloarthritis (also known as spondyloarthropathy or seronegative arthritis) is a name for types of arthritis that commonly affect the spine. These types of arthritis all have the following signs in common:
Inflammation of
- The spine and sacroiliac joints (joints that connect the base of your spine to your pelvis), felt as pain and stiffness in the buttocks, back and/or neck
- Joints in the legs and less commonly the arms, causing pain, stiffness and swelling
- tendons (strong cords that connect muscles to bones) and ligaments ( which connect bones to each other), often felt as pain in the back of the heel or underneath the foot
- Eyes, skin and other parts of the body
- Seronegative (meaning ‘absent from the blood’). Types of arthritis that test negative for rheumatoid factor in the blood are called seronegative arthritis, associated with a gene called HLA-B27
- Another name used for this group of conditions is spondylitis, meaning inflammation of the spine. There are several types of arthritis that can be classified as spondyloarthritis
To learn more download the information sheet about the main types of these conditions and how they are managed, as well as where to find further information and advice.
