Blogs

I am Dr. Thomas Hoffmann.  I'm a Rheumatologist who treats auto-immune diseases like lupus or RA where the body's immune system overreacts and attacks joints or organs in the body.

Systemic sclerosis is a rare condition, and some of the symptoms sound like conditions themselves. In this post, we describe five signs of systemic sclerosis -- in language you can understand.

Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system attacks your joints. You may imagine there’s nothing that can be done, but there are some lifestyle changes and treatment methods that can help.

If the idea of having something injected directly into your swollen, tender joint seems unbearable, you may want to keep reading. Injections can be an important tool in managing arthritis pain and progression.

My update on COVID, self protection, vaccines and treatment.

Some diseases cause different symptoms in different people and don’t always follow the same progression pattern in all patients. Sjӧgren’s syndrome is one such condition. Keep reading to learn how to identify the symptoms of this condition.

In this post, I describe the mechanism of action, the safety, and the efficacy of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

When you pull a muscle or strain a ligament, you need to rest, so it may seem logical that when you have joint inflammation, you should avoid exercise. However, there are some important benefits of exercising, even if you have joint pain.

Gout and pseudogout share some similarities, as you might imagine. However, there are some critical medical differences. In this post, we describe the difference between the two conditions and why it matters.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine received FDA emergency use authorization on 18 December 2020. This article summarizes the information about its efficacy and side effect profile based on information available as of 26 Feb 2021.

Vasculitis is the name of a group of conditions that all involve inflammation of the blood vessels. It’s a disorder of the immune system, but there are treatments that can help.

The FDA has granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in patients 16 years and older. In this article, I am summarizing the information known about this vaccine as of 13 December 2020.

The last few years have seen a rise in the amount of misinformation regarding vaccines. We’d like to take a moment to explain why vaccinations are so important, especially for those who have chronic conditions.

Have you ever wondered why vitamin and nutritional supplements are so highly recommended by medical professionals? They have benefits that can enhance your overall health and increase your quality of life. Keep reading to learn more.

Systemic sclerosis is also known as scleroderma, and it’s a mysterious autoimmune condition that has no cure, but it can be managed. Skin problems and discomfort are a hallmark of the disease, but you can take steps toward real relief.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes pain and other serious complications. Many people are uninformed about this disease and its symptoms. However, it is treatable, and we go over some of the best treatment options here.

Naloxone is an FDA approved treatment for opioid overdose. The signs of an opioid overdose and the protocol for using Naloxone are discussed.

Ever have severe pain in your joints and you’re not sure why? It may be caused by gout. Here are a few ways to protect your joints from the effects of gout so you won’t have pain anymore.

Millions of Americans live with painful, swollen joints caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment not only eases your pain but can slow the progression of your disease and reduce your risk of complications.

Whether you have rheumatoid arthritis or another type of rheumatologic disease, chances are your pain will eventually stop responding to conventional medications. That’s when you’ll need the next level of pain relief: IV infusion therapy.

The basics of the virus have not changed. The pandemic is now world-wide. The differences in responses around the world in combination with growing knowledge of the virus and disease show us what is working and what has not worked. 

COVID thoughts 29 March Hi, I’m Dr. Thomas Hoffmann. I am a Rheumatologist and prior Special Forces medic. Here are my thoughts on COVID and interpreting the conflicting opinions in the media.

In the midst of influenza season, and with the novel Coronavirus COVID-19 spreading in US communities, many of you have asked what measures you can take to minimize your risk. This list incorporates those measures recommended by the CDC...

Effective October 6th, 2014 hydrocodone containing products were classified as schedule II medications. Schedule II medications are the most tightly controlled prescriptions available.