Dr. Paul Waytz

Um, whereas your rheumatologist is, you know, when you say you're a rheumatologist at a party, it's usually a, you know, a showstopper there, you know, people go, okay, fine. Right. Um, but I, I think. Mercifully, I think people are getting more knowledgeable these days and they have friends who have rheumatic problems and they'll say, you know, my knee hurts.

Um, whereas your rheumatologist is, you know, when you say you're a rheumatologist at a party, it's usually a, you know, a showstopper there, you know, people go, okay, fine. Right. Um, but I, I think. Mercifully, I think people are getting more knowledgeable these days and they have friends who have rheumatic problems and they'll say, you know, my knee hurts.

And maybe that friend or somebody with some knowledge, including their primary care doctor will say, do any other joints hurt? And that's the next step. Orthopedists, and I love orthopedists, I have some good friends, you know, you go in with your knee, they're focusing on the knee. And a good orthopedist will say, do you have any other joint problems?

And maybe that friend or somebody with some knowledge, including their primary care doctor will say, do any other joints hurt? And that's the next step. Orthopedists, and I love orthopedists, I have some good friends, you know, you go in with your knee, they're focusing on the knee. And a good orthopedist will say, do you have any other joint problems?

And once they say, yeah, my wrist and my ankle, they said, well, maybe you ought to see a rheumatologist because it might be more than one joint. It's multiple joints that are giving you the problem. But rheumatology is the relatively new field where people were doing orthopedic procedures a century or more ago.

And once they say, yeah, my wrist and my ankle, they said, well, maybe you ought to see a rheumatologist because it might be more than one joint. It's multiple joints that are giving you the problem. But rheumatology is the relatively new field where people were doing orthopedic procedures a century or more ago.

Yeah, you know, I'd like to, I'll just interrupt. It is, but again, with the development of new medications over the last, let's say, 50 years and increasing numbers of new medications, our ability to change the course of people with various kinds of arthritis has improved significantly, especially rheumatoid arthritis, which for years was known as the great crippler.

Yeah, you know, I'd like to, I'll just interrupt. It is, but again, with the development of new medications over the last, let's say, 50 years and increasing numbers of new medications, our ability to change the course of people with various kinds of arthritis has improved significantly, especially rheumatoid arthritis, which for years was known as the great crippler.

And it still can be that way, but we've got some amazing medications and amazing insights into how we treat and approach. And I will say this for our listeners, especially, there's a window. There's a window that of a couple of years, that if you can start appropriate treatment within that window, you can do, you know, a light year's worth of work to prevent joint damage.

And it still can be that way, but we've got some amazing medications and amazing insights into how we treat and approach. And I will say this for our listeners, especially, there's a window. There's a window that of a couple of years, that if you can start appropriate treatment within that window, you can do, you know, a light year's worth of work to prevent joint damage.

Once the cartilage is damaged, you can't repair that. You know, it's gone. And it may lead to a process of progressive problems. But if you can get in there before at the very early stages, that changes lives.

Once the cartilage is damaged, you can't repair that. You know, it's gone. And it may lead to a process of progressive problems. But if you can get in there before at the very early stages, that changes lives.

Good point.

Good point.

Sure. That's, again, a great question. Well, when I started out in private practice, say 1980, we, so up until, for a long time, people said, oh, all you can do is remove the inflammation or treat the inflammation that's there and you're treating the pain. And then some bright people said, well, we should try and do more. So they developed, so medications came to be that would reduce

Sure. That's, again, a great question. Well, when I started out in private practice, say 1980, we, so up until, for a long time, people said, oh, all you can do is remove the inflammation or treat the inflammation that's there and you're treating the pain. And then some bright people said, well, we should try and do more. So they developed, so medications came to be that would reduce

not just remove inflammation like you would get with ibuprofen and naproxen and drugs like that. So it does more than just remove the inflammation. It tries to prevent the inflammation getting to the joint. Because that was an aha moment. And one of the first medications was elemental gold. You must remember using gold for rheumatoid arthritis.

not just remove inflammation like you would get with ibuprofen and naproxen and drugs like that. So it does more than just remove the inflammation. It tries to prevent the inflammation getting to the joint. Because that was an aha moment. And one of the first medications was elemental gold. You must remember using gold for rheumatoid arthritis.

And the great story there is that people thought that TB caused rheumatoid arthritis. And they knew that gold treated the tubercle bacteria. So they said, so we'll give that. Well, in fact, it does treat the tubercle bacillus. But it also reduces inflammation or prevents a certain amount of inflammation from getting there.

And the great story there is that people thought that TB caused rheumatoid arthritis. And they knew that gold treated the tubercle bacteria. So they said, so we'll give that. Well, in fact, it does treat the tubercle bacillus. But it also reduces inflammation or prevents a certain amount of inflammation from getting there.