If you have an autoimmune disorder that chronically affects your joints, bones, and muscles, you need a medical team that will be committed to your long-term care. The professionals at Family Medical Specialists of Florida, PLC are experienced at treating all kinds of rheumatic disorders, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma. For your rheumatology evaluation, call or book an appointment with their office in Plant City, Florida.
Rheumatology Q & A
What is a rheumatic disorder?
If you suffer from chronic pain resulting from a rheumatic disorder, you are not alone. More than 50 million Americans, including children, suffer from a type of rheumatic disorder.
Rheumatic disorders refer to a group of autoimmune conditions that affect your bones, muscles, and joints. Autoimmune conditions mistakenly consider the body’s tissues a reason to launch an immune response. Rheumatic disorders are due to an immune system attack on the tissues of the musculoskeletal system.
Often, rheumatic disorders are also referred to as musculoskeletal disorders. Symptoms they have in common are inflammation and pain in joints, and progressive loss of movement and range of motion.
What are some rheumatic disorders?
Rheumatic disorders include many types of arthritis, which is the most common cause for joint pain. Other common rheumatic disorders:
- Mononucleosis: called the kissing disease, this is a virus transmitted through saliva
- Gout: caused by increased levels of uric acid in the blood
- Lupus: causes system-wide inflammation, including skin and kidneys
- Fibromyalgia: causes generalized widespread pain of the body
- Scleroderma: causes progressive hardening of the body’s tissues
- Osteoarthritis: causes inflammation and damage of the cartilage between joints
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): causes widespread inflammation and damage to the tissues of the joints
- Vasculitis: a serious complication of RA that causes inflammation of the blood vessels
The Family Medical Specialists of Florida, PLC have experience in treating these and other rheumatic disorders. For the most effective long-term care, they may seek multidisciplinary support of a rheumatologist, a specialist on rheumatic disease.
What treatments are available for treating rheumatic disorders?
Your treatment plan is determined by your specific condition. Diagnosis is made after compiling a complete health history, a thorough physical exam, and a series of rheumatology-specific blood work.
Long-term care plans are often a combination of treatments, with the goal of treating symptoms and slowing the progress of mobility loss.
Some treatments may include:
- Narcotic and non-narcotic pain medicines
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs)
- Disease-specific medications
- Joint injections
- Corticosteroids
- Nutritional counseling
- Physical therapy referrals
Family Medical Specialists of Florida, PLC is committed to caring for you in the long-term, and helping you manage your rheumatic disorder the best way possible.
For a consultation about your rheumatic disorder, call or book an appointment online today.