Rheumatology
Rheumatology private practice
Rheumatology is a complex science that deals with changes and diseases of the moving organ system, like bones, joints, tendons or muscles.
Diseases covered by rheumatology include injuries and inflammations of the aforementioned organs, calcifications, abrasions and injuries affecting various joints and vertebrae, but certain internal medicine and autoimmune diseases can also be classified here.
It is typical that rheumatology plays a role when patients do not yet need surgical intervention, since many related diseases can be cured, reversed, or at least kept at a level with various treatments and medicines.
Rheumatology has a very broad diagnostic background, but it is important to know that related diseases often stem from completely different sources and affect other disciplines, so it may often be necessary to consult with fellow professionals to uncover the problem.
What kind of problems can a rheumatologist doctor treat?
The majority of people turn to rheumatology with some kind of pain, since the basic complaint of all rheumatological diseases is pain, which often stems from joint stiffness after waking up, and although it decreases after moving around, at the same time, this already indicates that there is some kind of change in the background worth investigating.
In relation to the pain, it is common for it to increase as a result of physical exertion and then decrease with rest. It is a typical symptom that sets off a kind of domino effect, since in this case, by sparing the painful joints, the patient overburdens the rest, which can cause deformities and more serious changes.
That is why it is also an important basic rule in rheumatology to seek specialist help as soon as possible, as this can nip in the bud more serious deformities, which may later only be remedied by surgery.
In addition to pain of various types and locations, a very common symptom of most rheumatological diseases is limited movement, when, for example, certain limbs cannot move as before. The problem is accompanied by wear and deformity of the joint surfaces, shrinkage of the ligaments, and a decrease in muscle strength.
If there is an inflammatory condition in the background, it often happens that synovial fluid builds up in the affected body part, which causes significant swelling and severe pain, which can of course be accompanied by skin redness, fever, weakness, depression and loss of appetite.
It also requires a rheumatological examination if the joints are sensitive to pressure, crackle when moving, or pain occurs in certain conditions or when performing certain activities.
It is important to point out that it is often worth visiting rheumatology not only for symptoms already experienced, but also for prevention. In particular, women over 45 years of age are often affected by the problem of osteoporosis, so in order to prevent the disease, it is important to have at least one rheumatological check-up every year after menopause, in conjunction with a Dexa test.
What happens during a reumatology examination?
The rheumatological examination always begins with the investigation of the patient's complaints. The attending physician listens carefully to the symptoms, and then asks questions about the history, the circumstances of the problem, the lifestyle, and the working conditions, while often it can also be important to explore the family medical history.
After the anamnesis, a physical examination begins, which in each case is adapted to the affected body part. He moves the lower and upper limbs, and asks the patient to walk and perform exercises, while trying to get closer to the lesion by touch and various artefacts.
During the physical examination, the internist will of course always take into account what injuries, surgical interventions, and internal medicine diseases the patient has had or has, which can have a negative effect on the locomotory organs, posture, muscles or even reflexes.
After that, the rheumatologist can request various laboratory tests - since the blood count can reveal a lot of changes, especially inflammatory processes - but the right imaging diagnostics can be essential for the diagnosis, so X-ray, ultrasound, CT or MR can help the doctor's work.
Especially in the case of suspected osteoporosis, the rheumatologist may prescribe a bone density measurement, but it is common for other specialties to be involved in the diagnosis process, since related diseases can be associated with various internal medicine changes and other pathologies.
