What is a Rheumatologist?

A rheumatologist is a medical doctor with advanced expertise in diagnosing and managing disorders that affect the joints, muscles, and connective tissues. These conditions often involve chronic inflammation and can be autoimmune or degenerative in nature, sometimes running in families. Rheumatologists help patients manage long-term pain and reduce inflammation that impacts movement and quality of life.

What Is Rheumatology?

Rheumatology is a branch of internal medicine focused on diseases that primarily impact the musculoskeletal system and connective tissues. This includes bones, joints, tendons, muscles, and ligaments. Many of the conditions treated in this field are autoimmune disorders, where the body’s defense system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Some may also stem from injuries that evolve into chronic issues when healing is incomplete.

What Do Rheumatologists Treat?

Rheumatologists handle a wide range of complex and often chronic conditions that are more involved than a simple sprain or strain. Their focus includes:

• Autoimmune conditions where the immune system attacks the body

• Connective tissue disorders that affect structures throughout the body

• Inflammatory and infectious diseases involving bones, muscles, and joints

Diagnosis typically involves blood analysis, imaging tests, and sometimes tissue studies. Treatment is highly individualized and may involve a combination of medication, physical therapy, injections, and lifestyle support.

Conditions Commonly Treated by Rheumatologists

Here are some of the many conditions a rheumatologist might help manage:

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Osteoarthritis

• Psoriatic arthritis

• Ankylosing spondylitis

• Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)

• Gout

• Bursitis

• Vasculitis

• Sjögren’s syndrome

• Scleroderma

• Polymyositis

• Myopathies

• Sarcoidosis

• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

• Beçhet’s disease

• Rheumatic fever

Education and Training of a Rheumatologist

To become a rheumatologist, one must first earn a medical degree (MD or DO), followed by a residency in internal medicine or pediatrics. After completing this residency, the physician undergoes additional fellowship training in rheumatology lasting two to three years.

Board certification is required and involves passing a thorough examination. Ongoing education is also essential to stay current with advances in treatment and research, often through continuing medical education (CME) and maintenance of certification (MOC) programs.

When Should You See a Rheumatologist?

You may be referred to a rheumatology specialist if:

• You have a personal or family history of autoimmune or inflammatory diseases

• Your symptoms involve multiple joints or tissues across the body

• You experience persistent fatigue, swelling, stiffness, or systemic inflammation

• Your symptoms are not improving or are progressing rapidly

Early consultation can help prevent long-term damage and manage symptoms more effectively.