A rheumatologist is a doctor who focuses on diseases like arthritis. To do this, they spend four years learning about medicine in general. They also work for three years in a hospital, treating people with all types of health issues. Lastly, they train for two more years to learn about joint, muscle, and bone illnesses.
This specialty field diagnose, treat, and manage various types of conditions, including:
Rheumatologists diagnose and treat diseases of joints, muscles, and bones. When you go to this physician, they'll have a long conversation with you. They'll want to know about any discomforts and for how long you've had them. They're also interested in whether this discomfort gets worse when you move around or exercise. It's important for them to know whether you have other lasting health issues and what kinds of medicine you're taking.
Throughout your visit, the specialist might test how well your joints move. They could touch where they hurt and examine your stomach, skin, and lymph nodes.The rheumatologist also performs several diagnostic tests or refers the patient for additional consultations with other specialists.
The most common diagnostic laboratory and imaging tests
used by a rheumatologist are:
Rheumatology and orthopedics are two separate medical specializations. Although doctors from both fields deal with diseases related to the musculoskeletal system, the scope of their knowledge and competencies differs.
The work of an orthopedist focuses primarily on patients with bone, joint, and muscle injuries, e.g., dislocations, fractures, sprains, and patients with congenital and acquired postural defects. A rheumatologist treats patients who suffer from rheumatic diseases, which most often cause pain in the bones, joints, and muscles. An orthopedist deals primarily with surgical treatment, while a rheumatologist deals with long-term pharmacological treatment combined with physiotherapy.
Rheumatologists diagnose and treat various musculoskeletal conditions. The most common ones include:
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes joint inflammation and affects other organs, including skin, blood vessels, lungs, and heart. This condition belongs to a group of autoimmune diseases, which means the body’s immune system starts recognizing body cells as foreign and attacking them. In rheumatoid arthritis, the surface of your joints is affected, leading to painful swelling, damage, and deformity of the joints. At first, the condition affects small joints, but as it progresses, it may affect bigger joints of ankles, elbows, shoulders, and hips.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:
The symptoms may come and go and vary in severity. The disease is characterized by periods of flare-ups (increased disease activity) and remission.
Research shows that 40% of people with rheumatoid arthritis have other symptoms apart from those concerning joints. The organs that may be affected include:
Gout is a form of arthritis characterized by sudden severe pain attacks, swelling, and redness of joints. The big toe joint is most often affected. The attacks of joint pain occur suddenly, frequently waking you at night. The symptoms typically come and go with periods of exacerbations and remissions.
The cause of the disease is urate crystals that accumulate inside joints, leading to unpleasant symptoms. Urate crystals are produced in the body when purines break down (substances found in the body). Purines are found primarily in certain foods, including red meat and organ meats, as well as in some alcoholic beverages, especially beer.
Rheumatologists diagnose and treat gout. The treatment options include medications that lower uric acid concentration, anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, and steroids.
Another condition managed by a rheumatologist is psoriatic arthritis. The disease involves joint inflammation, stiffness, swelling, and nail lesions. It typically develops in people who have already developed symptoms of psoriasis, but sometimes arthritis symptoms may come before skin problems. Psoriasis symptoms include red skin patches with silvery scales. There is no cure for the condition, but there are treatments that alleviate symptoms and prevent joint damage.
Scleroderma is a health issue that makes the skin feel harder and tighter. Doctors who work on joint-related problems know that scleroderma can be limited or diffuse, changing how much it affects the skin. In some cases, it doesn't only impact the outer layer but may also cause problems to parts inside the body, like the digestion system, heart, and lungs.
Even though we can't eliminate this disease, there are ways to slow its progression, reduce its side effects, and improve the quality of one's daily life.
Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system attacks glands that produce saliva and tears. Dry mouth and dry eyes are the two most typical symptoms.
Diagnosis and treatment of Sjogren’s syndrome varies depending on which gland is affected. Both rheumatologists and ophthalmologists manage this condition.
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that may affect various organs. It may concern joints, skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. The symptoms depend on which organs are affected. Therefore, diagnosing the disease is challenging as the symptoms may resemble other conditions. The most common symptoms include:
on the faceThere is no one test to diagnose lupus, and doctors have difficulty finding that diagnosis as the signs and symptoms vary from person to person. Rheumatologists use steroids, antimalaria drugs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immunosuppressants, and biological medications.
Vasculitis is an inflammation of blood vessels. The disease may lead to thickening blood vessel walls and restricted blood flow. When blood flow is limited, it may cause organ damage. There are various types of vasculitis. It may be long-lasting or short-term and might cause symptoms in many organs. The types include:
The symptoms may include fever, flu-like symptoms, ear problems, blurred vision, double vision, red eyes, weakness of the hands or feet, rash, and shortness of breath.
Most vasculitis results from immune system overstimulation, so the primary treatment aims to reduce its activity by using various medications and managing underlying conditions that may have triggered the disease.
The disease is managed by multiple specialists, including rheumatologists, ophthalmologists, dermatologists, and laryngologists.
Ankylosing spondylitis is an arthritis type that causes inflammation in the spine’s joints and ligaments. The disease leads to spine stiffness and pain. In some cases, the condition also affects other joints, such as knees, hips, and ankles. Typically, the stiffness and back pain come and go in episodes. The pain worsens during rest and sleeping, while it gets better during exercise.
Except for joint symptoms, symptoms concerning other organs may develop, such as:
Since there is no cure for the condition, rheumatologists use medications, physical therapy, and exercises to slow down the progression of the disease.
Myasthenia is a chronic condition that causes muscle weakness. The disease is autoimmune—the body’s immune system antibodies mistakenly recognize connections between nerves and muscles as harmful particles and attack them. It usually affects the muscles of the eyes, throat, and limbs, leading to eye muscle weakness, drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, and limb weakness.
The disease is managed by various physicians, including rheumatologists, neurologists, and physiotherapists. The disease can’t be cured, but treatment aims to manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
During sarcoidosis, inflammatory cell collections develop in various body parts. Typically, these affect the lungs and lymph nodes but can affect any organ, including the heart and skin.
The disease's symptoms may vary and depend on which organs are affected. Those include:
There is no cure for sarcoidosis, but treatment is often used to manage the symptoms. In some mild cases, no treatment is needed, as the symptoms go away independently. Since the cause of the disease is inflammation, the drugs used aim to suppress the immune system cells.
You should visit a rheumatologist if you have a family history of autoimmune or rheumatic conditions. It’s often challenging to link rheumatic diseases with their symptoms as most of them are not specific and can make you suspect other conditions. However,if you notice any of the following symptoms, it’s best to consult your GP on whether you should see a rheumatologist:
Table of Contents
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive autoimmune joint disease. What are its causes? What are the symptoms of the disease… read more »
Psoriatic arthritis is a long-lasting inflammatory disease of the joints in patients with psoriasis, which can cause joint destruction and… read more »
Muscle pain and stiffness – these can be the first symptoms of arthritis. Learn about the most common types of… read more »
Osteoarthritis is a disease that most often affects children and the elderly. What are its causes? How can it be… read more »
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammation of the spine. How to recognize the onset of the disease? What to… read more »
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a group of diseases with a genetic basis. Learn all the symptoms associated with EDS. Find out… read more »
Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the immune system works incorrectly – it begins to attack the body's tissues. What… read more »
Trigger finger is a condition that impairs daily functioning. The effectiveness of treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms.… read more »
About 3.9% of the adult population in the USA is affected by gout, a painful form of arthritis that affects… read more »
