Learn How To Find A Local Rheumatologist Near Me

Rheumatologist

A rheumatologist, in simple layman terms, is a medical professional who treats rheumatoid disorders. These people are specialized and have received extensive training. They can thus treat many diseases related to muscular and skeletal systems.

Rheumatic diseases occur in the muscles and bones of a person. The common symptoms, in this case, are stiffness, pain, swelling, and deformity around certain joints like fingers or thumb end.

What is a rheumatologist?

The Rheumatologist is a board-certified physician whose areas of specialty comprise of arthroscopic diagnosis and arthritis management, and also other skeletal-based disorders.

Rheumatologists can diagnose and treat multiple autoimmune diseases. The most common problems that they can treat are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, lupus, gout, and chronic back pain. They also spend a significant time in conducting their own research so that they can find the causes of these diseases and their treatment.

The Rheumatologist usually diagnoses and treats his patients in an outpatient clinic setting. The patient’s primary care provider refers them to a Rheumatologist for diagnosis and further treatment.

When should I see a rheumatologist?

In some cases, the pain of joints, muscles, and bones could last many days. But rheumatism is not discovered in the early stages. Doctors during tests perform forensic research so they can know the cause of the swelling. Such diseases may change with time or start developing rapidly.

Learn more about Rheumatology Specialists and how to choose the right one for you

A Rheumatology specialist diagnoses arthritis along with other similar diseases. These disorders happen when we see inflammation and swelling in the muscles.

What is the incidence of Rheumatic diseases, and who are at risk of these diseases?

It is estimated that by 2020 at least 60 million Americans will have any type of arthritis or rheumatic disorder. This regular increase in such illness is because the conditions could develop because on any reason.

There are multiple types of rheumatic disorders, yet some people are more prone to catching them. The factors that influence how prone a person could genetics, gender, age, and environment. Usually, females, African Americans, Hispanics, and those with the PTPN22 gene are more susceptible to these problems.

What kind of training do rheumatologists have?

These rheumatologists usually devote 2 to 3 years studying clinical rheumatology. Most rheumatologists who want to treat patients have to choose board certifications. After they complete, the medical education students must pass the US Board of Internal Medicine exam and obtain a certificate in medicine.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common rheumatic illness at present. An estimated 27 million cases in the USA are believed to be afflicted with this problem. This type of arthritis accounts for 55% of rheumatic disease cases in the USA. The problem is associated with the breakdown of cartilage. This cartilage acts as an envelope for the joints. It helps them to move smoothly without any issues. Breakdown of cartilage causes stiffness, loss of motion, and overall discomfort

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA is another one. It affects nearly 1.3 million people within the USA. This condition causes permanent joint damage, which can be painful.

The condition could cause permanent impairment. The inflammation of the synovium can diagnose RA. Such inflammation is found equally prevalent on both sides of the body.

Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is another common condition that any rheumatologist would treat. This is also defined through inflammation which may be seen in two separate locations. When joints cause pain, it is called arthritis. But if the same inflammation happens in the skin, it is called psoriasis. Then this condition could affect the joints around fingers and toes.

Gout

Gout is a different type of arthritis that affects approximately two million Americans. The condition is where tiny uric acid crystals start to grow on joints. In general, Gout is found within the feet but is more commonly is located within the large toe. The accumulation of crystals may cause extreme pain, inflammation, and severe swelling.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a Rheumatic condition that affects the bones. The bone structure in the body of the sufferer breaks down as time passes. Osteoporosis causes bone density and bone mass to decrease throughout the course of the condition.

Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease is an additional form of the rheumatic disease due to the inflammation it creates. The condition has become more widespread and prevalent across all different demographics.

This rheumatic illness creates inflammation in the small and colon intestines. It can result in significant and frequently debilitating discomfort for sufferers and cause them to suffer from a diminished standard of living.

Tendinitis

A swollen tendon causes the condition. The majority of the time, this inflammation occurs in the tendons connecting muscles with bones. Similar to carpal tunnel, this problem develops when certain tendons are damaged, over-used, or there is an earlier rheumatic illness. Tendinitis symptoms usually are tenderness, limited movement, and discomfort.

What does a doctor of rheumatology treat?

A rheumatologist is a board-qualified neuropsychologist or child therapist with additional education to diagnose and treat osteoarthritis, muscle, or bones.

Why would you see a rheumatologist?

It is best to consult a rheumatologist in cases of severe pain in joints and muscles that do not resolve after short-term treatment. Your doctor can refer you to a rheumatologist for treatment.

Can I self-refer to a rheumatologist?

Several rheumatological centers now accept patients who self-recommend the treatment to a physician if they have severe symptoms, usually with suspected rheumatoid arthritis. Until recently, it has been unable to be tested in patients in other rheumatologists with unknown clinical diagnostics.

Why would you see a rheumatologist?

It is best to consult a rheumatologist in cases of severe pain in joints and muscles that do not resolve after short-term treatment. Your doctor refers you to a rheumatologist for treatment.

How does an appointment with a rheumatologist work? : Find Local Rheumatologist Near Me

When the patients first visit the rheumatologist, a lot of things are considered. Based on the complexity of his ailment, the rheumatologist may ask him to share his family medical history. A family history of having such diseases helps in the diagnosis and treatment of the problem. Rheumatologists also do a complete physical examination to find and signs of inflammation in a person’s body.

After examining and seeing the family history, the rheumatologist can suggest tests. These tests could include radiographic tests like ultrasounds, MRI, CT scans, etc. Another test they could suggest was the blood test which will help in checking antibody production or inflammation in the body through the blood. Then the rheumatologist offers a proper treatment plan.

What kind of treatment plans can a rheumatologist provide?

The treatment varies from one patient to another, but it may include a variety of treatment methods. Mainly the rheumatologists provide medications that reduce the pain and inflammation caused. Another treatment is to refer to a physical therapist. Such physical therapy could be painful for the patients based on the rheumatic condition they have been diagnosed with. But it can reduce joint stiffness.

After the treatment plan is decided, follow-up visits are scheduled with the rheumatologist. Such appointments will keep the rheumatologist aware of the patient’s condition, and he can modify the treatment plan accordingly. In such follow-up visits, he could take care of issues like reoccurring complications, medications, and coping mechanisms.

He can also suggest techniques that will help them gain function again. Such follow-up visits aim at improving a patient’s quality of life.

When do I need to set up an appointment with a rheumatologist?

Everyone suffers from joint or muscle pain, but not all of them are serious. It is suggested that if your joint pain or muscle pain stays for longer than you expected, then you should see a specialist. If the joint pain does not go on its own additional tests are required. The first step in this direction is meeting your physician. He will evaluate your condition to see if it is a rheumatic disorder.

There are specific situations when the patient should not shy away from seeing a physician, so he refers them to a rheumatologist. If you have a family history of rheumatic disease, you should quickly meet a physician. Another instance where you should hurry is when the pain is significant and starts worsening in a short period itself.

Another important thing that you must know is that some medicines may hinder you from getting a correct diagnosis. Certain OTC drugs could improve the symptoms caused by these rheumatic diseases.

This could make it difficult for the rheumatologist to give a correct diagnosis. If any of the symptoms are ignored, it may lead to long-term harm. The damage to your joints and muscles should never be overlooked, as it could lead to joint damage. This damage cannot be easily reversed, so the joints and muscles can be permanently damaged.
That is why patients should look for a rheumatologist if they think there is a severe problem. This is especially necessary if patients have a history of such disorders in the family.

Rheumatologist training and education

In order to become a rheumatologist, a person should obtain an Undergraduate degree and above from any college or University. This means around 3 to 4 years of classes. It involves studies in subjects like Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, etc. After completion of the Undergraduate degree, you must be accepted into a medical school.

After acceptance in a medical school, you have to complete another four years of classes and become a doctor of medicine (M.D.) or a doctor of osteopathy (D.O.). The four years of medical school could be broken down into two parts, each of them comprising two years each. In the first two years, the students complete the classroom-based courses.

This includes classes in subjects like biochemistry, pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, medical ethics, pathology, microbiology, psychology and some courses in the laws of medicine world. In these two years the students are also taught how then diagnose the diseases, examine their patients and write down their medical history.

Clinical

After these two years of classroom education is over, students need to complete two additional years in the field. In the last two years, the students have cared for the patients in clinics and hospitals. However, they remain under the supervision of an experienced doctor. They are trained through multiple specialty healthcare facilities like family medical practices, internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry, pediatrics, and obstetrics. In this training phase, the students are usually taught in detail about the rehabilitative, acute, chronic, and preventive care of patients.

Residency

Once the medical school is successfully completed, the doctors begin their residency. This is usually another three years of education which includes specialized training and studies. At this point, the rheumatologist can pick if we want to do the residency of internal medicine or pediatric. Whichever division he successfully completes, he becomes either an internal medicine doctor or pediatrician. Post that, another two to three years of training is mandatory. These years focus on rheumatology, and once done, a person becomes a rheumatologist.

The Rheumatologists go on to be board-certified, and then only they can practice. The American Board of Internal Medicine provides certification, and it is only for approved Rheumatologists. If a Rheumatologist decides he wishes to go into the pediatric field, he will have to do another two or three years of training to get the board certification. Only after the Rheumatologist gets board-certified in Paediatric rheumatology can he start providing care for children and other Rheumatic Diseases.