If you have a systemic autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or lupus, your primary care physician can oversee many of your everyday healthcare needs. However, you may need to consult a rheumatologist for more complete tests and therapy.


What exactly is a rheumatologist?

Rheumatologists are internists or pediatrics who have had specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal illness and systemic autoimmune disorders such as RA.

Rheumatic disorders are a group of ailments that can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, and abnormalities in your:

  • joints.
  • bones.
  • assisting muscles.

What exactly does a rheumatologist do?

Rheumatologists often have extensive interaction with patients and devote significant time to monitoring disease development.
Once you've identified a rheumatologist, they'll do the following:

  • determine or confirm the diagnosis
  • conduct tests to determine the underlying cause of your disease and make a diagnosis
  • therapeutic suggestions
  • Follow up to check that the therapies are effective.
  • If the first approaches need to be tweaked, revamp the treatments.


Education and instruction

To become a rheumatologist, you must first complete four years of medical school as a medical doctor or osteopath. Following that, you'll spend three years as a physician resident focusing in internal medicine, pediatrics, or both.

A rheumatologist completes their official education by spending 2 to 3 years in a rheumatology fellowship, where they learn about chronic musculoskeletal and autoimmune disorders and how to treat them. Clinical or laboratory research may be part of their education.

The rheumatologist must pass an American Board of Internal Medicine certification exam after completing the fellowship.
Every ten years, rheumatologists must take a recertification exam. They must also attend continuing medical education programs in order to keep their board certification.


Rheumatologists treat the following conditions

A rheumatologist can treat any of the more than 100 rheumatic illnesses, musculoskeletal problems, and traumas known to science, including:

  • arthritis rheumatoid

  • osteoarthritis

  • musculoskeletal pain syndromes

  • osteoporosis

  • gout

  • myositis

  • fibromyalgia

  • tendonitis

  • vasculitis

  • back ache

  • strained muscles

  • lupus

  • syndrome of antiphospholipids

  • scleroderma

  • Sjögren’s

  • other autoimmune conditions


What to anticipate during a rheumatologist appointment


Rheumatologists will do the following:

  • collect your medical and family history
  • conduct a physical examination
  • carry out particular tests


For suspected autoimmune illnesses, rheumatologists frequently test patients for increased antibody production. They may prescribe the following tests to evaluate musculoskeletal issues:

  • X-rays
  • ultrasounds
  • CT Scanners
  • MRI examinations

























  • organs.