Musculoskeletal Medicine

Musculoskeletal Disease affects one in three Irish people. Rheumatology is the medical specialty which principally focuses on the care of the 2% of the population who suffer from chronic autoimmune inflammatory arthritis, connective tissues disease and vasculitis. In addition the Dept of Rheumatology provides specialist care for all patients with other musculoskeletal diseases including osteoarthritis, gout, regional musculoskeletal disorders, soft tissue rheumatism and metabolic bone disease.

The Department of Rheumatology is based at Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin 24 and St James’s Hospital, Dublin 8. Both sites have specialist Rapid Access Early Inflammatory Arthritis Clinics, Interdisciplinary Connective Tissue Disease clinics and General Rheumatology clinics. In addition a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound clinic offering state of the art musculoskeletal imaging is based at Tallaght University Hospital.

The Dept of Rheumatology is involved at all stages of Undergraduate Clinical Medicine education offering specific undergraduate rotations within the Dept which provides comprehensive Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine exposure in addition to formal teaching in the clinical years and an integrated final year Rheumatology programme to consolidate Rheumatology undergraduate teaching.

Opportunities for undergraduate research are provided and the Dept is currently involved in The National Rheumatology Curriculum project which will establish the standards for medical education in Rheumatology in Ireland.