WELCOME to rheumatologyclinic.ca
This website is geared towards patients. It provides entry-level information on illnesses and medications encountered in the field of Rheumatology. Patients are encouraged to continue educating themselves about their illness as such undertaking has many positive ramifications. Being informed empowers the patient to have realistic expectations, improves patient-physician communication, and most importantly, increases compliance with treatment and monitoring. This often translates to better control of the illness with fewer exacerbations.
Rheumatology is a subspecialty of Internal Medicine. Rheumatologists in Canada and U.S. are specialists in Internal Medicine who later pursue additional training in the subspecialty of their choice, ie. Rheumatology. Ninety percent of Internal Medicine training is hospital-based and focuses on the inner workings and malfunction of major organ-systems in the human body. The subspecialties of Internal Medicine were introduced as as distinct fields in early 1970s. This was fostered by rapidly accumulating medical research which was possible due to advancing scientific techniques. Rheumatology focuses on myriad of distinct autoinflammatory and autoimmune conditions with joint inflammation being the initial cardinal feature. Rheumatologic diseases share another feature – the chronicity. Many diseases are chronic in nature and may wax and wane over a span of many years, despite optimal treatment. Lupus (SLE) is a classic example of a disease demonstrating such tendencies. The aim of treatment is to delay disease progression, thereby ameliorating symptoms, preserving quality of life and preventing and/or limiting major organ damage. Some of the specific diseases encountered in Rheumatology include:
- Adult-onset Still’s Disease (AOSD)
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Behcet’s Disease
- Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis
- Cogan Syndrome
- Degenerative Joint Disease (ie. Osteoarthritis)
- Dermatomyositis (DM)
- Familial Mediterranean Fever
- Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA or Temporal Arteritis)
- Gout
- Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM)
- Infectious arthritis (ie. TB, Lyme disease)
- Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)
- Osteoporosis (OP)
- Polyarteritis Nodosum (PAN)
- Pseudogout (CPPD)
- Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)
- Polymyositis (PM)
- Reactive Arthritis (ReA)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Sarcoidosis
- Statin Necrotizing Autoimmune Myopathy (NAM)
- Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma or SSc)
- Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE)
- Takayasu’s Arteritis (TAK)
TERMS OF USE:
The information provided on rheumatologyclinic.ca is intended to provide general, entry-level information on diseases and medications encountered in the field. The website is not an all-inclusive resource and therefore does not suggest any specific treatment course as such dections are complex in nature and are made in person by a qualified physician. Any health related concerns should be discussed in person and in a timely fashion with your physician. Information obtained on this website should not serve as a substitute for medical advice obtained in person from a qualified physician. Should the patient be concerned about an urgent health issue and for whatever reason be unable to reach the physician in question, he/she should call 911 or proceed to the nearest Emergency Room in the area. Multiple links to sources on the worldwide web are provided on this website, however, rheumatologyclinic.ca is not responsible for the content of these sites nor does it endorse any products these sites may promote or advertise. The content of this website is amenable to change in the future.
UNINSURED SERVICES:
Patients may require services that are not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Examples of such services include: sick notes for work, copy and transfer of medical records and prescription refills over the phone. Physicians are entitled to charge patients for uninsured services as per 2014 Ontario Medical Association (OMA) Physician’s Guide to Uninsured Services.