What does a Rheumatologist do?

All of us have suffered from musculoskeletal pains that would last for a couple of days or a few hours. But what if the pain in your neck, muscles, or back persists and increases in severity over the next few days? Well, seeing the doctor might be the right thing to do in such a situation. Since identifying the rheumatic diseases in early stages is not easy, you n  eed specialised training and skills to diagnose these diseases.

Rheumatic diseases can lead to more complex conditions if the diagnosis is not made at the right time – that’s when rheumatologists come into play. Rheumatologists are well-trained experts in the practice of diagnosing rheumatic diseases. The job of these medical professionals is to study and evaluate your signs and symptoms to come up with the right treatment plan. They are well-aware of the urgency of finding the right solution as further delay in treatment could worsen the condition while damaging your wellbeing.

The job of rheumatologists: 

Rheumatologists diagnose and treat mainly inflammatory conditions of the joints, muscles, bones and blood vessels. These include autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, Lupus, Vasculitis and Ankylosing Spondylitis. Also, non-inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, chronic back pain, fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel syndrome are diagnosed and treated by a rheumatologist.

Rheumatologists have an excellent understanding of the immune system and also general medicine which, most people say, makes them the best diagnosticians in the whole of the medical field. Their treatments can be complex and often involve controlling an overactive immune system. Rheumatologists have a good grasp of managing difficult to control pain as well for conditions such as fibromyalgia.

These medical professionals are trained to engineer proper treatment plans tailored to current conditions and diseases. Most of these doctors work in outpatient clinics, which are generally associated with a local hospital. In most cases, people visit rheumatologists when a primary care doctor refers to them.

The question is, when is the right time to visit a rheumatologist? Everyone experiences severe joint and muscular pain from time to time. However, if the pain prolongs, then further evaluation and diagnosis is required. Quite often, medication mitigates or improves the signs and symptoms of the rheumatic disease making it more difficult for the doctors to carry out the right diagnosis. The primary job of the rheumatologist is to evaluate the previous diagnosis and test reports to assess the presence of musculoskeletal abnormalities. Here’s what a rheumatologist treats and when it is right to see one:

 

1. Treatment of more than 120 diseases:  

Besides rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatologists also treat a multitude of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Conditions that limit the function of your muscles, joints, and bones are also looked after by these medical professionals. Additionally, these medical professionals also treat chronic pain in a localised joint or muscular area. Diseases such as osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, and other similar conditions are treated by rheumatologists.

2. Medical investigators:

Patients are often referred to a rheumatologist after your primary care physician is unable to figure out what’s wrong with your condition. Rheumatologists are trained to deal with strange and rare diseases. Diseases which show no specifically conspicuous signs and symptoms. The job of rheumatologists is challenging as they have to consider every systematic aspect, not just a particular organ or body part. Most rheumatologists have to find out the right pattern in the signs and symptoms to put together the right solution and treatment plan.

3. Doctors for a lifetime:

Once your rheumatologist has made the right diagnosis, they have to acquire the right lab work and reports for prescribing the right medication and dosage. The doctor also keeps a check on drug intake to see the impact of the medication on the severity of the detected disease. Follow-ups are the backbone of entire rheumatic disease treatment. Where some might require few follow-ups, others have to ensure a more regular visit. Follow-ups are scheduled as per the severity of the disease and dependent on control of the symptoms.

If you would like to visit Dr Naveen Bhadauria, private Consultant Rheumatologist in London, then please visit his website at www.privatelondonrheumatologist.com where his contact details can be found.