A rheumatologist is a board certified internist or paediatrician who is qualified by additional training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and other diseases of the joints, muscles, and bones. Rheumatologists also treat a group of diseases called “systemic autoimmune diseases.” Other terms that you may hear or read that mean the same as systemic autoimmune diseases are “collagen vascular diseases,” and “connective tissue diseases.” This is a group of diseases where a person’s immune system attacks the person’s own body. This ends up causing inflammation in areas of the body where it is not needed, causing problems such as pain, swelling, and organ damage. These diseases can affect any part of the body to include the eyes, skin, nerves, kidneys, lungs, heart, and other internal organs. All the systemic autoimmune diseases can cause inflammation of the joints, or arthritis. Therefore, rheumatologists are considered the experts in treating this group of disorders.

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