Understanding the Role of Rheumatologists in Osteoarthritis Care
How can a rheumatologist help my osteoarthritis?
Professor David Hunter, rheumatologist
A rheumatologist is a specialist physician who focuses on people that have joint bone and muscle related diseases particularly arthritis but also other bone and muscle conditions as well. They can help a person with osteoarthritis by particularly helping to manage a person’s symptoms with the use of appropriate analgesics and if needed help to facilitate a team-based approach to the long-term management of this disease.
Professor Rachelle Buchbinder, rheumatologist
Rheumatologists are specially trained to be detectives and try and identify the cause of the person's problem and then to identify and provide advice about the different treatment options.
Visit a rheumatologist
Professor David Hunter, rheumatologist
Getting to see a rheumatologist you'll need a referral from your general practitioner. In the first instance usually you may just need one visit to a rheumatologist to help to facilitate getting on the appropriate management and engaging the appropriate health professionals that it can help to facilitate ideal management of osteoarthritis.
What will happen on the first visit?
Professor David Hunter, rheumatologist
The first visit with a rheumatologist will usually consist of a 40-minute time interval with the rheumatologist where they will take a history of your disease they'll then do a full examination of the joint that's affected but also of the full systemic array that may contribute to the development of osteoarthritis and then they'll institute a management plan to help to facilitate the long-term care of your disease.
Professor Rachelle Buchbinder, rheumatologist
A rheumatologist at the first visit asks you about your symptoms, how long you’ve had them, they’ll perform a physical examination and look at any tests that you may already had done. At that point they're likely to ask you about are your impressions about what’s going on and your treatment preferences and then together you can make an agreed plan of management. Sometimes the rheumatologists will ask for more tests to be done and sometimes their opinion may need to wait till the second visit. In some cases, people may need ongoing treatment by a rheumatologist.
