Arthritis Center - Union, NJ
Union Rheumatologist Doctors for ArthritisType of Physician: Rheumatologist What is a Rheumatologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners treat diseases of the joints, muscles, bones, and tendons. The rheumatologist diagnoses and treats arthritis, back pain, muscle strains, common athletic injuries, etc. The rheumatologist may work closely with other specialists such as orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists. Specialty: Rheumatology Common Name: Rheumatologist Doctors in Union * Malcolm H Hermele MD  Tariq Mahmood MD  David A Worth MD & Diane Scarpello DO  David A Worth MD & Diane Scarpello DO  James S Paolino MD FACR  Drs Hanauer & Mesnard  Drs Hanauer & Mesnard  Andrew B Weinberger MD  David Kang MD  Internal Medicine Faculty Practice at St Barnabas Hospital  Arthritis Internal Medicine  University Hospital Ambulatory Care Center  Atlantic Rheumatology & Osteoporosis Associates PA  Rheumatic & Autoimmune Diseases Center  Rheumatic & Autoimmune Diseases Center  Rheumatic & Autoimmune Diseases Center  Rheumatic & Autoimmune Diseases Center  Nicholas A Cannarozzi MD  The Arthritis Allergy & Immunology Ctr  The Arthritis Allergy & Immunology Ctr  Summit Medical Group Internal Medicine  Summit Medical Group Internal Medicine  Jonathan M Simon MD  North Jersey Rheumatology Associates  Arthritis & Rheumatism Institute LLC  Center for arthritis And Rheumatism  Center for arthritis And Rheumatism  Center for arthritis And Rheumatism  Center for arthritis And Rheumatism  Center for arthritis And Rheumatism  Center for arthritis And Rheumatism  Center for arthritis And Rheumatism  Center for arthritis And Rheumatism  Richard R Brodman MD  Medical & Arthritis Doctors Inc  New Life Rheumatology Center  New Life Rheumatology Center  Michael P Lewko MD LLC  Michael P Lewko MD LLC  Louise Albornoz MD  Med Solutions LLC  Robert A Fogari MD  Arthritis Center of New Jersey  Arthritis Center of New Jersey  Barry J Efros MD  Restivo & Maiello MDs  Restivo & Maiello MDs  David Widman MD  Summit Medical Group  Atlantic Rheumatology & Osteoporosis Associates PA  Atlantic Rheumatology & Osteoporosis Associates PA  Ciro J Carafa MD  Anil Kapoor MD  Physicians Health Alliance  Comprehensive Care Group  Drs Gaito & Lutz  Rochelle Park Medical Center  Hackensack Rheumatology LLC  North Jersey Center for Arthritis & Osteoporosis  Arthritis Internal Medicine Associates Middlesex PC  North Jersey Center for Arthritis & Osteoporosis  Drs Mongia & Kamath  Murray S Hamada MD  C Michael Knee MD  Edward A Ewald MD  Gregory S Rihacek MD  Prospect Medical Offices LLC  Prospect Medical Offices LLC  Prospect Medical Offices LLC  Allegra Arthritis Associates PC  Allegra Arthritis Associates PC  Allergy, Asthma & Arthritis Assoc  Allergy, Asthma & Arthritis Assoc  Allergy, Asthma & Arthritis Assoc  Rheumatology Associates of North Jersey  Rheumatology Associates of North Jersey  John E McWhorter MD  Richard I Andron MD  Drs Cholhan & Salem  Drs Cholhan & Salem  Old Hook Medical Associates LLC  Princeton Rheumatology Associates  R Michael Roberts MD  Arthritis & Osteoporosis Associates  Arthritis & Osteoporosis Associates  Arthritis & Osteoporosis Associates  Robert L Gabel MD  Kenneth B Wasser MD  Princeton Medical Group PA  Arthur E Brawer MD  Hightstown Medical Associates  Rany Al Haj MD  Meridian Medical Associates  Shore Rheumatology  Shore Rheumatology  Ileana Antoniadis MD  Alexander S Carney MD  Medical Associates of Lawrenceville  Rheumatology Center of Princeton  Rheumatology Center of Princeton Union, New JerseyUpcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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ArthritisWhat is arthritis? What causes arthritis?Arthritis is a joint disorder featuring inflammation. A joint is an area of the body where two different bones meet. A joint functions to move the body parts connected by its bones. Arthritis literally means inflammation of one or more joints. Arthritis is frequently accompanied by joint pain. Joint pain is referred to as arthralgia. There are many types of arthritis (over 100 identified, and the number is growing). The types range from those related to wear and tear of cartilage (such as osteoarthritis) to those associated with inflammation resulting from an overactive immune system (such as rheumatoid arthritis). Together, the many types of arthritis make up the most common chronic illness in the United States. The causes of arthritis depend on the form of arthritis. Causes include injury (leading to osteoarthritis), metabolic abnormalities (such as gout and pseudogout), hereditary factors, the direct and indirect effect of infections (bacterial and viral), and a misdirected immune system with autoimmunity (such as in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus). Arthritis is classified as one of the rheumatic diseases. These are conditions that are different individual illnesses, with differing features, treatments, complications, and prognoses. They are similar in that they have a tendency to affect the joints, muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons, and many have the potential to affect other internal body areas.
What are arthritis symptoms and signs?Symptoms of arthritis include pain and limited function of joints. Inflammation of the joints from arthritis is characterized by joint stiffness, swelling, redness, and warmth. Tenderness of the inflamed joint can be present. Many of the forms of arthritis, because they are rheumatic diseases, can cause symptoms affecting various organs... Recommended Reading Related to ArthritisWhat is citrulline antibody?Citrulline antibody is an immune protein (antibody) that binds to a non-standard amino acid (citrulline) that is formed by removing amino groups from the natural amino acid, arginine. Citrulline antibodies are measured with a blood test that is analyzed in laboratories. Research suggests that in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, proteins may be changed to citrulline as part of the process that leads to inflammation of the rheumatoid joint. Citrulline antibody has also been referred to as anti-citrulline antibody, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, and anti-CCP. For what is citrulline antibody used?Citrulline antibody is present in the blood of most patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It is used in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis when evaluating patients with unexplained joint inflammation. A test for citrulline antibodies is most helpful in looking for the cause ... Other Related Arthritis ArticlesEmergency Contact for Union
Nearby Union Hospitals *Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Children's Hospital of New Jersey Trinitas Hospital Williamson Campus East Orange Campus of the VA New Jersey Health Care System Trinitas Hospital New Point Campus Overlook Hospital Children's Specialized Hospital Mountainside East Orange General Hospital Saint Barnabas Medical Center Summit Oaks Hospital The University Hospital Kindred Hospital New Jersey Rahway Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway St James Hospital of Newark Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation West Orange Clara Maass Medical Center West Hudson Clara Maass Medical Center Bayonne Medical Center Runnells Specialized Hospital of Union County Mountainside Hospital Woodbridge Development Center Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center Richmond University Medical Center JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute JFK Medical Center Essex County Hospital Center Bayley Seton Campus Jersey City Medical Center Christ Hospital Morristown Memorial Hospital Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center Care One at Raritan Bay Staten Island University Hospital North Site Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute Hoboken University Medical Center South Beach Psychiatric Center Raritan Bay Medical Center Perth Amboy Division Staten Island University Hospital South Site Lutheran Medical Center New York Downtown Hospital Long Island College Hospital St Mary's Hospital Brooklyn Campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System St Vincent's Hospital & Medical Center of New York Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital Maimonides Medical Center Beth Israel Medical Center Petrie Division Lyons Campus of the VA New Jersey Health Care System New York Eye & Ear Infirmary NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases The Brooklyn Hospital Center St Joseph's Children's Hospital St Joseph's Regional Medical Center New York Methodist Hospital VA New York Harbor Healthcare System New York Campus Bellevue Hospital Center St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center NYU Langone Medical Center Palisades Medical Center Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine University Behavioral Healthcare Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation Saddle Brook Manhattan Eye Ear & Throat Hospital Saint Peter's University Hospital Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital Goldwater Specialty Hospital & Nursing Facility Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hackensack University Medical Center Lenox Hill Hospital Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Campus The Rockefeller University Hospital Saint Clare's Hospital Boonton Township Saint Clare's Hospital Denville Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Arthritis by Our Doctors
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Gout
- Gout is a condition that results from crystals of uric acid depositing in tissues of the body. Gout is a condition that can lead to abnormally elevated levels of uric acid in the blood, recurring attacks of joint inflammation (arthritis), deposits of hard lumps of uric acid in and around the joints, and decreased kidney function and kidney stones.
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Pinched Nerve
- A pinched nerve can be caused of a variety of conditions, for example, carpal tunnel syndrome, herniated disc, sciatica, arthritis, spinal stenosis, trauma, and more. Common symptoms of a pinched nerve include pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness. Treatment of a pinched nerve depends on the cause of the pinched nerve.
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Lyme Disease
- Lyme disease is a bacterial illness, which is spread by ticks when they bite the skin. Initially the disease affects the skin causing a reddish rash associated with flu-like symptoms. It takes weeks to months after the initial redness of the skin for its effects to spread throughout the body. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. Lyme disease can be prevented by using tick avoidance techniques.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints, the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease.
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Knee Pain
- The knee joint is composed of three compartments and ligaments which stabilize the joint. Causes of knee pain may include injury, degeneration, infrequently infection and rarely bone tumors. Although routine x-rays do not revel meniscus tears, they can be used to exclude other problems of the bones and tissues. The knee joint is the most commonly involved joint in rheumatic disease, as well as immune diseases that affect various tissues of the body.
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Lower Back Pain
- There are many causes of back pain. Pain in the low back can relate to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area.
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Psoriasis
- Psoriasis is a long-term skin condition that may cause large plaques of red, raised skin, flakes of dry skin, and skin scales. There are several types of psoriasis, including psoriasis vulgaris, guttate psoriasis, inverse psoriasis, and pustular psoriasis. Symptoms vary depending on the type of psoriasis the patient has. Treatment of psoriasis may include creams, lotions, oral medications, injections and infusions of biologics, and light therapy. There is no cure for psoriasis.
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Torn Meniscus
- A torn meniscus (knee cartilage) may be caused by suddenly stopping, sharply twisting, or deep squatting or kneeling when lifting heavy weight. Symptoms of a meniscal tear include pain with running or walking long distances, popping when climbing stairs, a giving way sensation, locking, or swelling. Treatment depends upon the severity, location, and underlying disease of the knee joint.
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Lupus
- Systemic lupus erythematosus is a condition characterized by chronic inflammation of body tissues caused by autoimmune disease. Lupus can cause disease of the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and nervous system. When only the skin is involved, the condition is called discoid lupus. When internal organs are involved, the condition is called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
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Osteoarthritis
- Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis caused by inflammation, breakdown, and eventual loss of cartilage in the joints. Also known as degenerative arthritis. Osteoarthritis can be caused by aging, heredity, and injury from trauma or disease.
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Sarcoidosis
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Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction (SI Joint Pain)
- Sacroiliac joint (SI) dysfunction is a general term to reflect pain in the SI joints. Causes of SI joint pain include osteoarthritis, abnormal walking pattern, and disorders that can cause SI joint inflammation including gout, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Treatment includes oral medications, cortisone injections, and surgery.
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Sjogren's Syndrome
- Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease involving the abnormal production of extra antibodies that attack the glands and connective tissue. Sjögren's syndrome with gland inflammation (resulting dry eyes and mouth, etc.) that is not associated with another connective tissue disease is referred to as primary Sjögren's syndrome. Sjögren's syndrome that is also associated with a connective tissue disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or scleroderma, is referred to as secondary Sjögren's syndrome. Though there is no cure for Sjögren's syndrome, the symptoms may be treated by using lubricating eye ointments, drinking plenty of water, humidifying the air, and using glycerin swabs. Medications are also available to treat dry eye and dry mouth.
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Ankle Pain
- Ankle pain is commonly due to a sprain or tendinitis. The severity of ankle sprains ranges from mild (which can resolve within 24 hours) to severe (which can require surgical repair). Tendinitis of the ankle can be caused by trauma or inflammation.
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Fever
- Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
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Elbow Pain
- Elbow pain is most often the result of tendinitis, which can affect the inner or outer elbow. Treatment includes ice, rest, and medication for inflammation. Inflammation, redness, warmth, swelling, tenderness, and decreased range of motion are other symptoms associated with elbow pain. Treatment for elbow pain depends upon the nature of the patient's underlying disease or condition.
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Scoliosis
- Scoliosis causes an abnormal curvature of the spine. When the cause of scoliosis is unknown the disorder is described based on the age when the scoliosis develops (infantile, juvenile, or adolescent idiopathic scoliosis). In functional scoliosis, curvature develops due to a problem somewhere else in the body. With neuromuscular scoliosis, there is a problem when the bones of the spine are formed. Treatment typically involves observation, bracing, and surgery and is dependent upon the severity of the curvature.
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Scleroderma
- Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease of the connective tissue. It is characterized by the formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the skin and organs of the body, leading to thickness and firmness of involved areas. Scleroderma is also referred to as systemic sclerosis, and the cause is unknown. Treatment of scleroderma is directed toward the individual features that are most troubling to the patient.
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome And Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
- Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which irritation of the wrist's median nerve causes tingling and numbness of the thumb, index, and the middle fingers. This condition is known as tarsal tunnel syndrome in the ankles and feet. Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome depends on the severity of the symptoms and the nature of any disease that might be causing the symptoms.
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Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes chronic inflammation of the spine. The tendency to develop ankylosing spondylitis is genetically inherited.
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Baker Cyst
- A Baker cyst, also called a popliteal cyst, is swelling caused by knee joint fluid protruding to the back of the knee (popliteal area of the knee). Not uncommon, baker cysts can be caused by virtually any type of joint swelling (arthritis). They are often resolved with removal of excess knee fluid in conjunction with cortisone injections.
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Paget's Disease
- Paget's disease is a chronic bone disorder due to irregular breakdown and formation of bone tissue. Symptoms of Paget's disease include bone pain, headaches and hearing loss, pressure on nerves, increased head size, hip pain, and damage to cartilage of joints.
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Bone Spurs
- Bone spurs are pointy outgrowths of bone that develop in areas of inflammation or injury. They commonly occur on the heel and spine and may be the result of reactive arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Symptoms include pain, numbness, and tenderness. Treatment focuses on decreasing inflammation and avoiding re-injury.
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Psoriatic Arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis is a disease that causes skin and joint inflammation. Symptoms include painful, stiff, and swollen joints, tendinitis, and organ inflammation. Treatment involves antiinflammatory medications and exercise.
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Osteomyelitis
- Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone. Potential causes include injections around the bone, fractures that puncture the skin, recent surgeries, and bacterial infections that travel from other areas of the body, spreading through the blood to the bone. Symptoms include pain, fever, chills, stiffness, and nausea. Treatment involves antibiotics and pain medications. Surgery is sometimes necessary.
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Henoch-Schonlein Purpura
- Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP or anaphylactoid purpura), a type of blood vessel inflammation, results in rash, arthritis, and occasional abdominal cramping. HSP often resolves on its own. Joint pain may be treated with anti-inflammatory and cortisone medications.
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Connective Tissue Disease
- Connective tissue disease is when the body's connective tissues come under attack, possibly becoming injured by inflammation. Inherited connective tissue diseases include Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, polymositis, and dermatomyositis are examples of connective tissue diseases that have no known cause.
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Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
- Lumbar stenosis can be caused by degenerative arthritis (the most common cause), tumor, infection, or metabolic disorders (Paget's disease of the bone). Symptoms include low back pain, weakness, pain, numbness, and loss of sensation in the legs. Other conditions may cause similar symptoms of lumbar stenosis, including diabetic neuropathy, claudication, and peripheral vascular disease. Diagnosis, is a medical history and imaging studies. Lumbar stenosis may be treated with medication or surgery.
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Frozen Shoulder
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