PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - R. A. Billings AU - K. F. Mole TI - Rheumatology in general practice — a survey in World Rheumatism Year 1977 DP - 1977 Dec 01 TA - The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners PG - 721--725 VI - 27 IP - 185 4099 - http://bjgp.org/content/27/185/721.short 4100 - http://bjgp.org/content/27/185/721.full SO - J R Coll Gen Pract1977 Dec 01; 27 AB - Rheumatological complaints accounted for 10·6 per cent of new presentations in this general-practice survey. Spinal problems formed almost half of this total and led to a greater degree of disability than other locomotor system disorders. Active participation in the treatment of pain by the practitioner's use of manipulation and injection techniques is shown to be quite feasible in general. Forty-six per cent of all hospital referrals were simply requests for physiotherapy, and we suggest that physiotherapy departments should offer open access and so lead to a marked reduction in over-strained rheumatology consultant outpatient clinics.