Case Study-Podiatry Definition of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Case Study: Podiatry
Podiatrists are essential healthcare practitioners in the diagnosis and treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) (Helliwell, Siddle & Redmond, 2011). This paper explores the case study of a 48-year-old female patient who is complaining about stiffness and swelling of her joints; mostly on both of her forefeet and she is also having visible hallux abducto valgus (HAV) deformity. About two years ago, she was diagnosed with RA. The study will insightfully analyze the gold standard assessment as well as diagnosis of the actual and possible foot problems that are associated with her condition, from a podiatry perspective. This paper will also be discussing the definition and etiological understanding of the effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis, as well as how this may lead to the pathogenesis of structural and foot problems. The paper will include analysis of the gold standard assessment and application to her condition. Moreover, the paper will look at the underlying pathogenesis of the patient’s disease and how this has led her to develop HAV. Finally, this paper will discuss how taking a detailed history aids in ameliorating her quality of life as appropriate treatment options can be made to match her way of living.
Definition of Rheumatoid Arthritis
As stated by Turner and Woodburn (2008), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is defined as a polyarthritis, systemic joint disease that comes with a chronic an auto-immune, inflammatory, random, symmetrical, and fluctuating course. It is an inflammatory illness that mainly affects a person’s synovial joints. The disease normally affects the small joints of the feet and hands, both sides evenly as well as symmetrically (Arthritis Research UK, 2017). Also, this systemic disease could affect the entire body, even the eyes, lungs and heart. In Britain, about 40,000 people have this disease. The incidence of RA is low with an estimated 3.6 women and 1.5 men per 10,000 people getting it annually, meaning that about 12,000 men and women develop the disease annually in Britain (Arthritis Research UK, 2017).
RA affect three times as many women than men, the common age is over 40 plus, but it can affect people at any age, there are other forms of inflammatory arthritis, but RA is the most common one, there are plus than 400,000 adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis in the UK and it represent about 1% of the UK population (NRAS, 2014). The severity of RA differs both within and between different individuals and although it may affect any joint in the body, it mostly affects the feet, hands, and wrists (Tan et al., 2003). The condition is costly both socially and economically. For instance, four out of every ten people working and have been diagnosed with the condition end up losing their jobs (Barn et al., 2013).
Important Component of RA In Relation To Management of This Patient as a Podiatrist
In relation to the management of this 48-year-old female RA patient as a podiatrist, the important components of RA include foot problems as she experiences pain in both feet. This patient was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis two years ago therefore, it is important for the podiatrists to understand some of the key components of RA. Foot problems that are linked to Rheumato...