What Is A Rheumatologist?

What is a rheumatologist?

A rheumatologist is a medical doctor who spends approximately 10 years in clinical training. Think about someone that spends 4 years of medical school, 3 years of internal medicine residency, and 2 years of a rheumatology fellowship. Many patients think about a rheumatologist as a joint disease doctor. However, rheumatologists are trained to treat your joints, muscles, tendons or bone diseases. There are many types of arthritis, and we specialize in recognizing and treating those differently. For example, gout and rheumatoid arthritis are both inflammatory arthritis, but they are treated differently.

Can a rheumatologist help with other diseases?

Yes, of course!

Rheumatologists are also highly trained to diagnose and treat autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren’s syndrome, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) or vasculitis.

Why should you choose Rheumatologist OnCall?

Rheumatologist OnCall offers you access to a top rheumatologist that can help with diagnosis and choose an individualized treatment for patients. This is an innovative company that will offer you a consultation with a specialists from the comfort of your home. Why travel and spend time in a waiting room? Why wait for months to be seen? You can be seen in less than one week. Why pay exorbitant costs? We discounted labs, imaging and medications for your benefit. We offer you options and all the pricing is transparent.

Do rheumatologists treat all autoimmune diseases?

Rheumatologists DO NOT specialize in the treatment of ALL autoimmune diseases. There are other autoimmune disorders that affect organ systems outside the musculoskeletal system (such as autoimmune hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune thyroid diseases, etc).

Rheumatologists DO NOT specialize in treating mechanical pain caused by degenerative disease of the joints or spine. Still, they can help with diagnosis and direct patients to the right specialist.

Rheumatologists frequently interact with your primary care physician and other specialists like kidney doctor, dermatologist, or lung doctor.

If you need help with evaluating your symptoms, do not hesitate to call and schedule an appointment with our top expert.

About the author

Diana Girnita, MD, PhD is an US board certified internal medicine and rheumatology. She completed a PhD in immunology, postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, immunology fellowship at University of Pittsburgh and rheumatology fellowship at University of Cincinnati. She is the founder & CEO of Rheumatologist OnCall, a telemedicine company that serves multiple states in the US. She is an assistant professor in the department of Rheumatology at University of Cincinnati. Dr. Girnita is a graduate of the Nutrition Science course from Stanford University and was recognized many times with “Top Doctor”  award (2017-2020) and is frequently invited speaker of the US National Arthritis Foundation. Read more…