WHAT DOES A RHEUMATOLOGIST TREAT?
Rheumatology specialists treat arthritis, certain autoimmune diseases, musculoskeletal pain disorders and osteoporosis. There are more than 100 types of these diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, lupus, back pain, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia and tendonitis/bursitis.Did you know? There are 90 rheumatologists in all of Ecuador. This translates to one rheumatologist for every 200,000 people.
The Blanca’s House Rheumatology Team travels to the Blanca’s House Ecuador Clinic three to four times a year. Located in Guayaquil, the clinic provides ongoing medical care to the people of Ecuador who cannot afford of have access to quality healthcare. The purpose of this medical mission is to screen and treat patients, as well as educate Ecuadorian medical students and primary care physicians to recognize diseases, to learn up-to-date treatment techniques, and as necessary, direct patients to the appropriate specialists within Ecuador.The team focuses on the following diseases:- Rheumatoid arthritis: an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system – which normally protects its health by attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses – mistakenly attacks the joints.
- Osteoporosis: thinning of the bones, with reduction in bone mass, due to depletion of calcium and bone protein. Osteoporosis predisposes a person to fractures, which are often slow to heal and heal poorly.
- Spondyloarthropathy: a rheumatological disease affecting the spine.
| Physical Therapists | Occupational Therapists | Nurse Practitioners |
| Physician Assistants | Physicians | Medical Students and Residents |
| Rheumatology Fellows | Junior Volunteers |
