A rheumatologist is more than the doctor who can help you manage your rheumatoid arthritis, though that is one of their specialties. Your rheumatologist can help you manage any condition that relates to your joints or your connective tissue. For example, they can help with bursitis and carpal tunnel syndrome in addition to joint inflammation.
Impact on Daily Activities
If you notice that your joint pain is impacting your ability to participate in the daily activities of life, an appointment with a rheumatologist can help. For example, if you love to bake but are losing grip strength because your hands hurt, then a rheumatologist can help you find new movements to give you more dexterity without excess pressure.
Be ready for several questions as your rheumatologist works through your symptoms. For example, they’ll likely want to know
- what activities can pain
- are there any times of day when it’s worse
- is your pain daily, occasional or in-between?
Sources of Inflammation
Rheumatological inflammation can actually come from multiple sources. Your rheumatologist may have you change up your exercise routine, or start a new one. They may encourage you to change your diet to reduce your intake of inflammatory or highly processed foods, or have you swap out some foods with fresh fruits and veggies. If you don’t feel good enough to want to try things to help you feel better, an appointment with a rheumatologist is a very good idea.
Do your best to address joint pain early. Whether your pain is from osteoarthritis, sometimes called wear and tear arthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis, which is a function of inflammation and your immune system, the sooner you know the source of your pain, the sooner you can start making alterations to your activity and diet to get a handle on your pain and your inflammation level.
Will You Need a Referral?
Some forms of insurance will require you to get a referral, so before you call a rheumatologist, make sure that you have the proper paperwork in place so you can get the proper range of treatment without additional expense. Your rheumatologist may encourage you to make some changes that seem odd and separate from your particular health concern, so try to stay open and flexible.
For example, many rheumatological sources of pain come from pinched nerves. To relieve these tight nerve gaps, you may need to ice a portion of your body on a daily basis, such as icing your low back to relieve sciatic pain. To relieve the pain in your wrists known as carpal tunnel, you may need to start stretching your neck, shoulders and arms. Be open to suggestions that seem far from your joint pain so you can get relief and regain range of motion.
Dedicated care from a rheumatologist can turn chronic pain that eats up your focus into a manageable condition that you can control. The more information you have, the better your decision making power will be. Get a referral if you need to and make suggested changes so you and your rheumatologist can function as partners in pain management.
