Our Services / Rheumatology

Medical conditions that affect your musculoskeletal system may cause pain, inflammation, and swelling. These symptoms can diminish your quality of life, but you can benefit from expert rheumatology care. Jacob Katz, MD, takes a holistic approach to care and provides rheumatology services at his practice, Katz Medical Group. To find out more about rheumatology care and how it can help you, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.

What is rheumatology?

Rheumatology is an area of medicine that specializes in diseases that affect the immune system and the musculoskeletal system. That includes your joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. 

These diseases cause pain, inflammation, and swelling, and they sometimes affect the structure and function of a joint leading to joint deformity. 

Rheumatology also diagnoses and treats systemic autoimmune diseases. These are diseases in which the immune system mistakenly attacks parts of your own body, causing inflammation, pain, and sometimes serious damage.

What conditions are Rheumatologiocal?

Some of the rheumatological conditions that benefit from a visit at Katz Medical Group include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Gout
• Osteoporosis
• Musculoskeletal pain disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Tendonitis
• Vasculitis
• Back pain
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Orthopedic physicians also treat conditions that involve the musculoskeletal system. However, orthopedic surgeons focus on surgical treatments, while Dr. Katz on nonsurgical treatments.

When do I need rheumatology care?

It’s not uncommon to experience muscle, bone, or joint pain from time to time. However, if your discomfort is an ongoing problem or getting worse over time, then you might benefit from rheumatology care at Katz Medical Group. 

Dr. Katz is a highly trained physician with a good understanding of the musculoskeletal system. Rheumatological conditions are challenging to identify and diagnose. 

Dr. Katz asks the right questions, including a comprehensive review of your symptoms and personal medical history. He also asks about your family’s medical history. This information provides a lot of clues about what’s causing your health concerns. 

Dr. Katz also performs a number of tests to determine the root cause of your pain. Testing might include blood work, X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs.

Once Dr. Katz knows what causes your discomfort, he spends time talking to you about your diagnosis and how it affects your musculoskeletal system. He then collaborates with you, designing a plan to ease your pain, reduce further damage, and improve your quality of life.

Rheumatology treatments may include activity modification, disease-specific medication, and physical therapy.

Rheumatology conditions are long-term diseases that require ongoing management and monitoring. For expert care from a skilled and compassionate physician, call Katz Medical Group or schedule an appointment online today.