Rheumatism includes more than 100 different diseases. What they have in common is chronic pain. An app should help with the diagnosis.
Around seventeen million people suffer from chronic problems with the musculoskeletal system. These can be rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, informs the
German Rheumatism League.
This affects older people, but also children and young people. As with many other diseases, good treatment success depends on early detection of the disease. A new app should help make the pain visible.
What exactly is rheumatism?
Rheumatism causes the joints in the body to be permanently inflamed. Those affected notice this sometimes more, sometimes less, reports the portal
Patient-information.de
. The reasons for the disease are unclear, but experts suspect that, on the one hand, the body's defenses may be weak and, on the other hand, there are also hereditary predispositions to rheumatism. If rheumatism is not treated, the disease can worsen. This is evident, for example, in the fact that large joints such as knees and shoulders also become inflamed. However, joints can also become deformed. Women are affected by rheumatic diseases significantly more often than men.
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What are typical signs of rheumatism?
Rheumatism can start suddenly and occur in attacks. Sometimes those affected don't notice it at all, while at other times it is severe. The following signs can indicate rheumatism, for example:
The joints are warm, red and swollen.
The joints hurt and can only be moved a little. The latter often happens in the morning.
You have little strength in your hands.
Fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite or fever can also be signs.
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Rheumatism detection: How an app can help
The “Pain2D” app combines improved pain assessment with clinical data and laboratory values. This should contribute to a faster diagnosis of rheumatic diseases. Among other things, the app is intended to depict pain intensity and specific pain patterns; “Pain2D” is currently being further developed for this purpose. Researchers from the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and the Hannover Medical School are working on the project.
“With this combination of digital pain recording with clinical data and laboratory values, we are creating a unique selling point compared to other paper-based and digital solutions,” explains Ostfalia scientist Dr. Kai Vahldiek, head of the “LabVal4Pain2D” project, in a press release. Vahldiek and his team have been working on the project since February. The expansion of the app is the first step; in the further process it will then be evaluated in a collective with rheumatism patients. “This data is then connected to clinical data and laboratory values and processed using cluster analysis, AI and machine learning,” says Vahldiek. The aim is to be able to classify rheumatic diseases better in order to make a quicker diagnosis and thus improve patient care. In the future, the procedure should also be able to be used for other diseases. The project runs for three years.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.