What is rheumatology?
Rheumatology is the study of rheumatic diseases. These are mostly chronic inflammatory conditions that affect your connective tissues — like your bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Many rheumatic diseases are autoimmune disorders, like inflammatory arthritis. Others are musculoskeletal conditions that started with an injury and turned into a chronic disorder when the injury didn’t heal.
What does a rheumatologist do?
Rheumatologists diagnose and treat complex conditions affecting your musculoskeletal system and connective tissues. These diseases are more complicated than a simple injury or mechanical problem.
Types of rheumatic diseases include:
- Autoimmune diseases that cause your immune system to attack your own tissues.
- Connective tissue diseases that affect supporting structures throughout your body.
- Inflammatory disorders or infections that affect your muscles, joints or bones.
Diagnosing these conditions involves looking at blood tests and imaging studies. Treating them often involves a multipronged approach, which might include medications, injections and physical therapy.
What diseases and conditions do rheumatologists treat?
Some of the diseases and conditions rheumatologists treat include:
- Ankylosing spondylitis.
- Beçhet’s disease.
- Bursitis.
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
- Gout.
- Myopathies.
- Osteoarthritis.
- Polymyositis.
- Psoriatic arthritis.
- Rheumatic fever.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Sarcoidosis.
- Scleroderma.
- Sjögren’s syndrome.
- Systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Vasculitis.
Why would you go to a rheumatologist?
One reason to see a rheumatologist is if you have a family history of rheumatic or autoimmune disease. These diseases can be hereditary, and screening can help catch them sooner. If you develop symptoms that suggest a rheumatic disease, your primary care provider might refer you to a rheumatologist. These symptoms can be wide-ranging, but they have some common features your provider might recognize.
Rheumatic diseases can:
- Happen in many places at once or all over your body.
- Affect many types of tissues, like your muscles, veins and skin.
- Make your tissues feel sore, stiff or swollen.
- Also cause systemic symptoms, like fever and fatigue.
When should I see a Rheumatologist?
If you or your primary care provider suspect you might have a rheumatic disease, you should see a specialist as soon as possible. This is especially true if your symptoms come on suddenly or worsen quickly. Many rheumatic diseases are progressive, meaning they worsen over time, affecting more tissues and causing more symptoms. As they progress, some can do permanent damage to your tissues.
What types of tests do rheumatologists use to make diagnoses?
In addition to a physical exam, your rheumatologist might order various diagnostic tests, including:
- Blood tests.
- Imaging tests, like X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan or MRI.
- Bone density test (DEXA scan).
- Tissue biopsy.
- Electromyogram.
- Organ function tests.
How do rheumatologists treat rheumatic diseases?
Treating rheumatic diseases is complex. Rheumatologists use many different methods, depending on your symptoms and how they respond. Your treatment plan will be personal to you. It may include:
- Corticosteroids.
- Immunosuppressants.
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
- Joint injections.
- Orthotics.
- Physical therapy.
- Occupational therapy.
- Referrals to an orthopedic surgeon.
Your care will likely include ongoing regular testing and monitoring. Many inflammatory conditions can progress over time or cause new complications, requiring your rheumatologist to reassess your treatment plan. Rheumatologists try to stay ahead of these changes by seeing you regularly. These frequent touchpoints make it easier to adjust your therapy before you experience discomfort.