Dr. David Shaskey has 30 years in the field of rheumatology and after a diagnosis,

he discusses treatment plans to help make it so having a rheumatic disease does

not necessarily limit your lifestyle.

We believe with good management, rheumatic disease often does not have to prevent your quality of life.

What is rheumatology?

the treatment of rheumatic diseases, include any diseases that cause:

pain, stiffness, swelling in joints or other supportive body structures, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases are often mistakenly associated with old age, because osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis) occurs more often among older people. However, arthritis and other rheumatic diseases affect people of all ages. Rheumatic disease are example of autoimmune diseases and conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the bodies healthy cells. With over 80 known types, these diseases can affect almost any part of the body and lead to a wide range of symptoms. An auto-immune disease develops when the immune system, which typically guards against germs like bacteria and viruses, decides your healthy cells are foreign; As a result, the immune system attacks these healthy cells. Although the exact cause of this malfunction is unknown, it’s believed that some people have a genetic predisposition that is triggered by certain environmental factors.