Jack March webinar Q&A

Rheumatology assessment and management are the main focus, with practical guidance for clinicians on spotting inflammatory conditions and distinguishing them from more mechanical problems. Key subjective features include red, hot, swollen joints, prolonged morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, night pain in the second half of the night, good response to anti-inflammatory medication, family history of inflammatory disease, and associated conditions such as psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, colitis, uveitis, and iritis. Several specific conditions are covered, including axial spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia. Learners can expect discussion of how obesity and smoking contribute to systemic inflammation, why weight management matters, and why exercise is central in treatment. For axial spondyloarthritis in particular, smoking cessation and regular enjoyable exercise are presented as the most important non-drug strategies. The session also addresses common clinical uncertainties, such as tendon pain in possible inflammatory disease, overlap between fibromyalgia and other diagnoses, and how to think about exercise in active rheumatoid arthritis. Overall, it offers a clinically focused overview of rheumatology reasoning, red flags, and management principles.