Nearly 40 million people of all ages - one in seven Americans - are affected by arthritis or a related disease that affects the joints, muscles and bones. These diseases can cause severe health impairment leading to death, but their impact is usually reflected in restricted activity, loss of productivity, increased utilization of medical services and the high cost of medical and disability expenses.

CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group provide care for patients with a wide range of rheumatic diseases, including arthritis, vasculitis, musculoskeletal, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, as well as other diseases of the bones and joints.

Conditions and Treatments

Rheumatologists are specially trained to identify many types of rheumatic diseases in their earliest stages, including arthritis, many types of autoimmune diseases, musculoskeletal pain, disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and osteoporosis.

Common conditions our specialists treat include:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Behcet's disease
• Dermatomyositis
• Gout and pseudogout
• Lupus (SLE)
• Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)
• Osteoporosis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Polymyalgia rheumatia
• Polymyositis
• Reactive Arthritis
• Sjogren's syndrome
• Scleroderma
• Temporal arthritis

• Vasculitis, such as Wegener's granulomatosis, Takayasu, Polyarteritis Nodosa, Churg Strauss

Treatment

CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group Rheumatology offer a level of experience and expertise available at few centers in the nation. Among the leading-edge treatments currently offered are biologic and IV infusion therapy, which provide alternate forms of therapy for appropriate patients who suffer from various rheumatologic disorders.