Musculoskeletal complaints account for nearly a quarter of the general clinical visits, yet medical training worldwide often lacks essential guidance on diagnosing and triaging these conditions effectively. This introductory book empowers the physicians and the healthcare providers with a simple yet powerful approach to classifying rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) into three key categories. 

1. ?Mechanical-structural wear-and-tear managed by physical medicine, rehabilitation, or orthopedic  specialists.  
   
2. ?'Third pain' (biopsychosocial pain without tissue damage) best addressed by pain management teams.  
3. ?Systemic immunoinflammatory rheumatic diseases requiring urgent rheumatologic care of a trained rheumatologist. 

Relying on the time-honoured clinical history, physical examination, and a few targeted tests, this streamlined approach enhances diagnostic accuracy, reduces delays, and optimizes healthcare resources.

This book is a must-read for undergraduate and postgraduate students in medicine, primary care physicians, general physicians and frontline emergency-room physicians, empowering them in appropriately handling and triaging patients with RMDs.