Private Rheumatology Hospital in London

RHEUMATOLOGY

Top London rheumatologists

When it comes to your health, you need to know you are in good hands. At Schoen Clinic London, our consultant rheumatologists provide care for a wide spectrum of patients, from people with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions to high performance athletes. Services can be accessed as part of an integrated multidisciplinary treatment plan or as a separate speciality. The benefit of being treated as part of a multidisciplinary team is that you have the combined expertise of radiologists, surgeons, pain consultants and physiotherapists all working towards the same end goal - getting your functionality and quality of life back, with excellent outcomes.

What is rheumatology?

Rheumatology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases that affect the joints, bones, muscles and connective tissue.

Rheumatologists cover a wide range of illnesses and diseases that affect the musculoskeletal (MSK) system. This includes arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and gout), back and neck pain, sciatica, osteoporosis and other bone diseases and soft tissue disorders (such as tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis and carpal tunnel syndrome). It also includes hypermobility (including the genetic disorders of connective tissue) and the chronic pain syndromes (such as fibromyalgia).

Common symptoms include:

Pain in the joints, bones, muscles and soft tissues
Swelling of the joints and bones
Stiffness in the joints and muscles
Giving way and locking of the joints
Clicking and cracking sound during movement

What to expect from your consultation

An integrated multidisciplinary treatment plan

As part of a multidisciplinary team, our consultant rheumatologists work in close collaboration with other specialists at Schoen Clinic, to ensure rapid and accurate diagnosis. Your first appointment will typically be part conversation and part examination, as they work with you to find out the root cause of your symptoms. Your consultant rheumatologist will usually take a detailed history about your complaint and follow this with a thorough examination of the relevant areas of the body. They will then arrange investigations as necessary, which may include blood tests or imaging.

Diagnostics: onsite imaging suite

Should any imaging be required to assist in diagnosis, Schoen Clinic has a dedicated imaging suite within its specialised Orthopaedic & Spinal Hospital. Housing state-of-the-art X-ray and MRI scanners, as well as ultrasound machines all under one roof, every aspect of your journey back to mobility is part of a streamlined process. In cases where blood tests are required, bloods can also be taken onsite for your convenience and sent for analysis. Once this information is collected a diagnosis can usually be made and treatment started.

Treating rheumatology conditions

As rheumatoid conditions occur in many different areas of the body, the specific treatment plan will vary depending on the nature and severity of your condition. Following diagnosis, your consultant rheumatologist will formulate an individualised plan to provide you with the best possible outcomes. Some of the possible treatments you might expect to be included in your plan are:

Possible Treatments

Lifestyle changes – keeping your joints moving is vital to avoid them from becoming, or remaining stiff. This may include diet and exercise as part of a plan to relieve stress from your joints.
Medication – in order to manage pain levels and continue with day to day tasks, you may be prescribed a combination of medication.
Steroid injections – injections can help to alleviate pain and stiffness, and can also reduce inflammation or swelling.
Physiotherapy – your specialist may suggest a course of physiotherapy or occupational therapy. Physiotherapists can assist with exercises to improve joint strength, and occupational therapists can teach you how to ease joint strain in your daily life.
Surgery – there are some cases where surgery will be the only answer to resolving the issue. We will always do our best to ensure an alternative route is taken and surgical intervention is only undertaken as a last resort.