Blog Archive
Many people don’t usually think about seeing a rheumatologist in Indiana. However, that will soon change as the United States’s population continues to age. In a 2015 study, the American College of Rheumatology projects that around 67 million adults will be diagnosed with arthritis by 2030. Meanwhile, 1.3 million currently have...
Human bodies are imperfect. They break down. They can start to hurt after a while. At some point, a few human bodies will end up afflicted with a fair amount of chronic pain; gout, joint pain, arthritis, and a myriad of other rheumatoid ailments. But there are ways to deal with...
As a provider of rheumatology treatment in Muncie, Indiana, we treat a variety of bone and joint-related disorders. One of the many diseases that come under our focus is lupus. The NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center describes lupus as an autoimmune disease, the result when the immune...
Psoriasis is a disease that presents itself as scaly red and white patches developing on the skin. This occurrence is caused by the body’s immune system attacking its own skin. Patients with psoriasis may also develop Psoriatic Arthritis; manifesting stiff, painful, and swollen joints. Identical to Psoriasis, the Psoriatic Arthritis symptoms...
What is and what causes Osteoarthritis (OA)? Medically, there are 100 types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA) is considered most common. It is described as a chronic (long-term), degenerative joint condition; meaning, it gets worse over time by breaking down joint cartilage of the hands, knees, hips, or spine most often. OA...
Synthetic GlucocorticoidsGlucocorticoids are created by the body naturally as cortisone or cortisol. These are necessary for the body’s growth, metabolism, and response to physical stresses like injuries, infections, and inflammation. Synthetic glucocorticoids like prednisone are widely used as an effective anti-inflammatory drug. However, high levels of both synthetic and natural...
Overview Tendons are identified as strong cords of tissue that join muscles to bones. When a tendon is inflamed, the condition is called tendonitis. It happens to one or many tendons in the body. The inflammation causes swelling, pain, and discomfort. Moreover, tenosynovitis is connected to tendonitis. This is the...
What is scleroderma? More commonly observed in women, scleroderma refers to abnormal growth of connective tissue that affects joints, skin, and internal organs. This disease is degenerative and worsens over time. If it affects only an area, then it’s called localized scleroderma. If it affects the whole body, then it...
In celebration of this year’s World Osteoporosis Day in the 20th of October, the Rheumatology of Central Indiana presents this comprehensive list with the hope of educating patients and raising awareness about the risk factors of Osteoporosis. Risk factors you CANNOT change: Gender – Women pose a greater chance of developing osteoporosis than men due to...
What is Gout? A condition that causes inflammation and pain in the joints. These are due to the occurrence of monosodium urate crystal deposits in and around the joints. In contrast to lupus, gout affects more men than women. This is often linked to obesity, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and...
Overview Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) refers to a systemic autoimmune disorder that is characterized by the presence of autoantibodies that attack healthy self-protein and affect multiple organ systems. These organs may include joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. Statistically, lupus is present more in women than in men. The typical...
Overview Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic or long-term disease which is characterized by the inflammation of the joints. Depending on the severity, the inflammation can affect the appearance and functionality of the joints and other parts of the body. Also, lumps or rheumatoid nodules may occur anywhere in the body. People...