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Arthritis Center of South Jersey
- Dr. Raymond Adelizzi, D.O -
Musculoskeletal Medicine
Diseases of the Bones, Joints, Muscles, and Tissues
Systemic Inflammatory Diseases
Don’t let the “rheum” in the name fool you. Besides rheumatoid arthritis (RA), these doctors treat a wide variety of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases that may affect the joints (such as gout and lupus), as well as other muscle or bone problems or injuries that can make your joints hurt and limit your function.
“In addition to the systemic diseases, people may come to see a rheumatologist to diagnose chronic back or neck pain or for a localized joint or muscle or tendon problem such as tennis elbow or Achilles’ tendonitis,” says Paula Marchetta, MD, MBA, president of the American College of Rheumatology. They also treat other conditions that you might be unaware of, such as osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, and Lyme disease
What is a Rheumatologist?
“A rheumatologist is an internist or pediatrician who received further training in the diagnosis (detection) and treatment of musculoskeletal disease and systemic autoimmune conditions commonly referred to as rheumatic diseases. These diseases can affect the joints, muscles, and bones causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and deformity.”
After they receive their MD or OD, rheumatologists spend three years training to become an internist or pediatrician, followed by two to three more years in a rheumatology fellowship.
Like all physicians, they are lifelong learners who take continuing medical education to keep up to date in their field — especially with the emergence of new and complex treatments such as biologics.
Rheumatologists treat many similar joint diseases as orthopedists, but they don’t do surgery. Many common diseases that they treat include rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, osteoarthritis, and chronic back pain, but there’s a lot about rheumatology you might not know. Read on to learn more about what rheumatologists do and when it makes sense to see one..