Patient Education
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is also called degenerative joint disease. It is the most common form of arthritis and occurs when the cartilage in your joints wears down over time. This can lead to pain, stiffness, swelling and difficulty using joints. It can affect any joint but it occurs most often in the knees, hips, back, neck, small joints of the fingers and bases of the thumbs. Nearly 27 million people in the U.S. have OA.
https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/osteoarthritis
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a condition that causes pain and swelling in the joints in people with psoriasis. Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease characterized by a dry, scaly, itchy rash. Only 10-30% of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis.
https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/psoriatic-arthritis
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/lupus
Sjogren’s Syndrome
https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/sjogrens-syndrome
Scleroderma
https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/scleroderma
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Gout
Gout is a form of arthritis that causes sudden, severe episodes of pain, tenderness, redness, warmth and swelling of joints. It usually affects one joint at a time but can become chronic and affect several joints. The most common joint that is affected is the large joint of the big toe.
https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/gout
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition associated with widespread chronic pain, fatigue, memory problems and mood changes. It occurs more commonly in women than men and affects 2-4% of the U.S. population. It does not lead to muscle or joint damage.
https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/fibromyalgia
Vasculitis
https://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/
Links
New Patients, What to Expect From your Rheumatology visit?
Your Primary Care Physician, Orthopedic Surgeon, or other specialist referred you to Rheumatology. You may be wondering, what is next, what can you expect from our visit?
What is a Rheumatologist? Rheumatologists are medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and management of some autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Sjögren’s Syndrome, Psoriatic Arthritis, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, autoimmune vasculitis, inflammatory myositis, and gout. Despite our name, we handle MUCH more than just arthritis.
We do not specialize in ALL autoimmune diseases. There are many other autoimmune diseases that are treated by other specialities such as Hashimoto’s/Grave’s thyroid disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Myasthenia Gravis.
We do not specialize in the treatment of osteoarthritis or mechanical pain caused by degenerative arthritis of the joints or spine. We are not pain management physicians. We will rule out inflammatory arthritis/autoimmune disease but then may refer you out appropriately if pain management is required.
Please make sure to fill out your new patient paperwork. We really do take the time to review prior to your appointment. We cannot provide you with the best care without all of the information that pertains to you and your health.
Please make sure to arrive early at least 30 minutes prior to your visit. Our physicians strive to stay on time and want to ensure all of your paperwork is processed and you are roomed prior to the start of your scheduled appointment time.
We will most likely order bloodwork and imaging. The bloodwork often takes 10 days-two weeks to completely result. In most cases, you will be scheduled for a follow-up in 2-3 weeks to have dedicated time to review all of your results with one of our providers. You will have access to see your results on our portal prior to your appointment if you would like.