A rheumatologist is an internist or pediatrician who received further training in the diagnosis (detection), and treatment of diseases that affect the muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons. These diseases can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, and potentially cause joint deformities. An old-fashioned word for these problems is “rheumatism.” Therefore, a “rheumatologist” is the doctor that treats rheumatism.
Joint Pain
Loss of motion in a joint or joints
Inflammation -- swelling, redness, and warmth in a joint or affected area
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Lupus
Spondyloarthropathies -- ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA)
Sjogren’s syndrome
Gout
Scleroderma
Infectious arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Polymyalgia rheumatica