What should I bring to the clinic?
- Health insurance information including authorizations or referrals
- Any relevant tests or radiology images done
- List of prescription medications and dosages
- List of medications that you’re allergic to
- List of questions you may have
- Recent test results related to your condition
- Paper and pencil to take notes
Who is a Rheumatologist?
What Kind of Training Do Rheumatologists Have?
What Do Rheumatologists Treat?
When Should You See A Rheumatologist?
Many types of rheumatic diseases are not easily identified in the early stages. Rheumatologists are specially trained to do the detective work necessary to discover the cause of swelling and pain. It’s important to determine a correct diagnosis early so that appropriate treatment can begin early. Some musculoskeletal disorders respond best to treatment in the early stages of the disease.
Because some rheumatic diseases are complex, one visit to a rheumatologist may not be enough to determine a diagnosis and course of treatment. These diseases often change or evolve over time. Rheumatologists work closely with patients to identify the problem and design an individualized treatment program.
How Does the Rheumatologist Work with Other Health Care Professionals?
Which Rheumatological conditions do you treat?
- All kinds of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, gout, and inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Spinal pain
- Connective tissue diseases (autoimmune diseases) such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), polymyositis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and systemic sclerosis
- Polymyalgia rheumatic, giant cell arteritis and other forms of vasculitis
- Metabolic bone disorders such as osteoporosis and Paget’s disease
- Soft tissue rheumatism, such as tendon and ligament problems, “frozen shoulder”, carpal tunnel syndrome
- Complex regional pain syndromes and fibromyalgia
- Sports and exercise medicine
Is Specialty Care More Expensive?
Ask Us A Question
To find a doctor or hospital, we’ll help you find a doctor to search.