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Well-informed patients are their own best advocates and invaluable partners for physicians.
Read on to find out answers to frequently asked questions about rheumatology.
What is a Rheumatologist?
A rheumatologist is a specialist physician who has expertise in diagnosing and treating diseases of the joints, muscles and bones.
Rheumatologists are arthritis doctors but also treat rare rheumatic conditions that can affect other parts of the body including the skin, hair and internal organs. These include “lupus”, myositis, vasculitis and scleroderma.
What are Rheumatologist Training and Qualifications?
Medical degree (5-6 years); Junior Hospital Doctor training (3 years); General Medicine training (3 years) and Specialist Rheumatology training (3 years) culminating in FRACP (Rheumatology).
When to see a Rheumatologist?
If you notice pain, swelling, stiffness or difficulty moving one or more joints, and these symptoms seem to come on suddenly and worsen over a few weeks, you should see a rheumatologist.. A rheumatologist is a physician with years of additional, specialized training in treating rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. A rheumatologist can examine you and give you specific tests, such as blood tests or X-rays, to determine the cause of your joint pain.
What is rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?
Rheumatoid arthritis, also called RA, is an autoimmune, inflammatory disease that affects the joints. While its causes are still unclear, RA happens when the body’s immune system malfunctions and attacks the healthy tissues of the synovium, or lining of joints, by mistake. RA triggers inflammation that quickly flares and causes severe pain and swelling in your joints. Joints can break down and become very difficult to bend or use. RA may rarely affect other organs, too, such as the eyes, lungs, heart or skin.
Why does RA happen?
The causes of RA are unclear at this time.
What rheumatic diseases do you treat?
We treat a range of rheumatic diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, gout, and osteoarthritis. To see a full range of rheumatic diseases we treat, please go to our services page.