Our Perth rheumatologist is here to help
At Brecken Health Mandurah, our Perth rheumatologist is available to work with you to help you alleviate your pain, improve your joint function, manage any inflammation, and enhance your overall wellbeing—for the long term.
Book an appointment with our Perth rheumatologist
At Brecken Health Mandurah, our goal is to give you peace of mind that you’re receiving the care you need.
Our rheumatologist requests that all new patients book their initial appointments at his Nedlands rooms by phoning 9200 6242, a referral is required from your GP.
Ongoing and subsequent appointments can be booked here at Brecken Health Mandurah, please make sure you have a current referral. Our friendly team can help organise your appointment and provide information regarding the rheumatology service fees.
With the right diagnosis and a tailored treatment plan, our rheumatologist can support you in providing ongoing management of your condition, and help you improve your quality of life.
Are rheumatologist services covered by Medicare?
Your cost to see our Perth rheumatologist may be partially covered by Medicare, when referred by a GP or Specialist. You will be required to pay the full cost of the service on completion of your consultation, the Medicare rebate can then be claimed and deposited into your account.
Contact our team for further information.
What is a rheumatologist?
A rheumatologist is a specialist doctor who provides diagnosis, treatment, and support for diseases and conditions affecting your joints, muscles, bones, immune system, and more.
They study and manage inflammation that causes swelling, stiffness, and chronic pain. These conditions are generally caused by an overactive immune system attacking healthy organs and tissues, leading to inflammation and damage.
A rheumatologist also helps manage long-term conditions like osteoarthritis, gout, and fibromyalgia, providing ongoing care to improve quality of life and prevent disease progression.
As well, they also manage autoinflammatory diseases: conditions where the patient develops symptoms like fevers, rashes, or joint pain without any apparent cause.
Rheumatologists often work alongside GPs, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals to deliver comprehensive care to patients with complex musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. By using their specialisation, they can support these healthcare specialists in diagnosing other non-inflammatory musculoskeletal and pain conditions.
What does a rheumatologist do?
A rheumatologist helps patients to manage and treat joint pain. They assess and treat patients experiencing unexplained joint and muscle pain, stiffness, or swelling, providing an expert opinion and creating tailored treatment plans.
Rheumatologists also provide ongoing care and monitoring for chronic diseases like gout, fibromyalgia, and psoriatic arthritis, to prevent progression of the disease and manage the symptoms. They help patients manage conditions by providing treatment options such as medications, physical therapy, and lifestyle recommendations to reduce pain and improve mobility.
It’s a similar outcome to what orthopaedic surgeons deliver. However, unlike orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists focus on non-surgical treatments like lifestyle modifications and therapies. They also prescribe medications, like disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics—powerful drugs that are only prescribed if DMARD treatment isn’t effective—to control inflammation, prevent joint damage, and slow the progression of rheumatic diseases.
What does a rheumatologist treat?
A rheumatologist focusses on the investigation and treatment of a range of different joint, bone, muscle, connective tissue, and autoimmune conditions, including:
- Arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, and osteoarthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Fibromyalgia
- Gout
- Lupus
- Myositis
- Reactive arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Vasculitis
What can a rheumatologist diagnose?
The list of conditions a rheumatologist can diagnose is long. After all, aches and pains can occur anywhere in the body.
There are over 100 types of rheumatic diseases. Some of the more common diseases that rheumatologists treat are:
- Forms of arthritis, like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout.
- Spinal disease.
- Pain, inflammation, and injury in muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints.
- Osteoporosis, as patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases are at higher risk of developing this condition.
- Fibromyalgia, where patients experience wide-ranging pain in muscles and soft tissue all over the body.
- Scleroderma, which causes inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and pain in joints, tendons, ligaments, and bones.
- Lupus, the autoimmune disease that causes your body’s immune system to attack your tissue and organs.
- Inflammatory myositis, which causes muscle inflammation and weakness.
- Vasculitis, a disease that causes inflammation in your blood vessels themselves.
As you can see, a rheumatologist can provide diagnosis and support for a vast range of different conditions and diseases, all with the goal of managing your way to better movement.
When should I see a Perth rheumatologist?
Persistent unexplained joint pain, muscle pain, stiffness, or inflammation may mean that you need to see a rheumatologist.
You should ask your GP for a referral to see a Perth rheumatologist if:
- Your joints are painful, stiff, and swollen
- You have any form of muscle pain (myalgia)
- You experience inflammatory arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis
- You suffer from an autoimmune connective diseases, such as lupus or scleroderma
- You have symptoms that get better with treatment, but come back again when you stop taking medication
- Your symptoms don’t respond to medication, or get worse over time
- Unexpected complications develop, like a rash or fatigue
- You receive any unusual test results that need specialist attention
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