Medical Doctors: Which Ones to See, Which Ones to Avoid

• Why rheiwatologists and orthopaedists are so effective
• How to find an I arthritis specialist
• The advantages of a family doctor
• Where to get medical advice on exercise
• How to talk to your doctor

Getting the correct professional help right away is extremely important. Unfortunately for them, a number of the participants accepted what they called the 'inevitability' of arthritis and ignored the pain and stiffness as long as possible before seeking medical attention. Now they look back at the time they spent being stoical or philosophical and curse themselves for the delay.

Self-doctored myself until about two years ago,' wrote a dis­abled printer from California. 'I feel now that this has been much to my downfall, and I would not recommend it to anyone. What helped me the most was finally admitting that I could not handle the arthritis by myself. Now I am seeing a specialist in this field, and I have full confidence in him, so I follow his instructions to the letter. And I am no longer bedridden, thanks to his treat­ments and advice.'

Other participants tried to get help right away, but got nowhere because the doctors they saw had some serious misconceptions about arthritis. For example, the myth that arthritis is a disease of old age persists in the minds of some medical professionals. As a result, a few of our participants in their twenties or thirties weren't taken seriously, because they were 'too young* to have Kfkitis. Now they have one or more artificial joints, even though they're 'too young' for those, too.

Here we name and rate the various types of doctors who treat arthritis. As you will see, there are a few kinds of spe­cialists who far outstrip the others in achieving dramatic success. If you haven't been examined by one of these practi­tioners and you are not satisfied with your present care, you owe yourself a trial visit. Also, check the tips at the end of the chapter for suggestions on how to make any visit to the doctor more productive.

Participants rated their doctors by judging the kind of help they'd received from each one, whether it was dramatic long-term relief, for example, moderate long-term relief, temporary relief, or no relief, which meant that the practitioner was ineffective. As you'll see, some practitioners only succeeded in making participants feel worse, either because of the treatment they provided or the negative attitude with which they offered their advice. Some survey participants did not rate this or that practitioner because they had started treatment too recently to make a judgment, or because they'd seen the doctor only for diagnostic tests or a second opinion about surgery.

First on the list are the rheumatologists, who in both the US and UK Survey turned out to be the most effective practitioners for providing long-term help.