Specialty Area: Rheumatology
Description of Specialty: Rheumatology is that subspecialty of internal medicine which
deals with the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and various immune mediated diseases.
1. Diagnosis: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Questions that should be asked:
- What is the cause of this arthritis?
- Is this always a crippling disease?
- How will this arthritis affect my occupation and my home life?
- What are the risks of therapy?
- How long will it take for me to experience improvement?
2. Diagnosis: Osteoarthritis
Questions that should be asked:
- What is the cause of this arthritis?
- What can I do to prevent further degeneration of my joints?
- What are the new non-surgical methods of treating osteoarthritis?
- How can physical therapy minimize disability?
3. Diagnosis: Lower Back Pain
Questions that should be asked:
- How do I prevent recurring lower back pain?
- What are the proper ways of sitting, standing and lifting that will minimize lower back
pain?
- Why do so many people have low back pain?
- What are the most common causes of low pack pain?
- How is low back pain treated?
- What warning signs should I look for with low back pain?
- When is low back pain acute and when is it chronic?
- Will exercise help?
4. Diagnosis: Bursitis or Epicondylitis
Questions that should be asked:
- What causes bursitis (shoulder) or epicondylities (tennis elbow)?
- How do you prevent and cure bursitis?
- Is an injection into a bursa a cure or merely for pain relief?
5. Diagnosis: Gout
Questions that should be asked:
- Does diet cause gout?
- Do I need to avoid alcohol entirely or moderately?
- For what length of time do I need to take my medicine?
- Does gout ever go away?
6. Diagnosis: Osteoporosis
Questions that should be asked:
- Is this a disease that affects women and men equally?
- How do you prevent osteoporosis?
- How much calcium do I need to take daily?
- Are estrogens worthwhile to take and what are the safety questions surrounding estrogen
use?
- When does osteoporosis start?
7. Diagnosis: Ankylosing spondylitis, Reiters syndrome and psoriatic arthritis
Questions that should be asked:
- How is heredity related to this disease?
- What are the chances that my children will develop this illness?
- How can physical therapy help me prevent disability?
8. Diagnosis: Scleroderma
Questions that should be asked:
- What is this disease?
- How will this illness affect me over time?
- Are there different forms of scleroderma?
- What is CREST?
- Are medications for management or cure?
9. Diagnosis: Carpal tunnel syndrome
Questions that should be asked:
- What causes this problem?
- How can I prevent recurrence?
- What do I need to modify in my workplace or home to prevent recurrence?
- Is surgery the only cure or is there a conservative treatment?
10. Diagnosis: Spinal stenosis
Questions that should be asked:
- What is spinal stenosis and is it common?
- Can physical therapy help relieve symptoms?
- What role does surgery play in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis?
- What is an epidural injection of cortisone and how can it help?
11. Diagnosis: Lupus
Questions that should be asked:
- What is lupus and is it treatable?
- Is this disease related to heredity?
- How valuable are the blood tests and does a test always mean collogen disease?
- Will I need perscriptions all my life?
- Is a corrective diet necessary?
- Is lupus contagious?
- May I use birth control pills, alcohol?
- May I exercise?
- Are there support groups?
12. Diagnosis: Vasculitis
Questions that should be asked:
- What does vasculitis mean?
- Is this a serious illness?
- What are the side effects and risks of treatment such as cortisone and anti-cancer drugs
versus having no treatment at all?
13. Diagnosis: Medications
Questions that should be asked:
- Ask about the differences in medications: gold, methotrexate, prednisone, cyclosporin,
imuran, cytoxin or nsaids.
- What are the short-term and long-term effects of each medication?
Leslie M. Brandwin, M.D. Private Practice