Many people who are referred to see a rheumatologist for the first time may not know much about this medical specialty. Here we briefly explain what the specialty of rheumatology involves, what rheumatologists do, and what to expect when you see a rheumatologist.

 

A rheumatologist is a specialist physician who has expertise in diagnosing and treating arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions and autoimmune diseases. 

 

Arthritis mainly affects the joints while other musculoskeletal conditions can also affect the joints, bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments.

 

Autoimmune diseases also commonly affect the musculoskeletal system but many of the conditions rheumatologists treat may affect the rest of the body, including eyes, skin, internal organs and the nervous system. 

 

Rheumatologists are experts in treating the many different types of arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions including:

• Osteoarthritis, which most commonly occurs in the hands, hips, knees or feet

• Gout ,which most commonly affects the big toe but can also affect other joints such as knees and hands

• Osteoporosis,which increases the risk of broken bones

• Pain that affects one or more specific parts of the body, most commonly the low back, neck, shoulder, hip, and foot

• Generalised pain conditions (e.g. fibromyalgia)

 

They also diagnose and treat autoimmune diseases including:

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Psoriatic arthritis, a type of arthritis that occurs in people with psoriasis

• Ankylosing Spondylitis, which most commonly affects the back

• Reactive Arthritis, which most commonly occurs in young adults after an infection

• Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, SLE)

• Scleroderma, which affects the skin, blood vessels (Raynaud’s phenomenon) and may affect the kidneys, lungs and other organs

• Sjogren’s syndrome which commonly causes dry eyes and dry mouth

• Myositis, which involves inflammation in the muscles

 

Source: https://rheumatology.org.au/patients/what-is-a-rheumatologist.asp