Dental bonding, which is a procedure where a tooth-colored composite resin is applied and bonded to a tooth’s surface, can address a variety of dental issues. Whether you have chipped teeth, gaps between your teeth, or teeth that are discolored or misshapen, dental bonding can provide a simple and affordable...
The Global Autoimmune Institute says that more than 80 autoimmune diseases have been recognized; some are common and well-known, like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, but others are much rarer and not well-understood by researchers or doctors. At Rheumatology Solutions, our highly trained providers treat several autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s Syndrome,...
The infusion center at Rheumatology Solutions is a comfortable place, staffed by educated and skilled registered nurses. Sometimes our patients hesitate when it comes to infusion therapy, but our experts find the benefits outnumber the drawbacks. In this post, we explore some of the benefits of infusion therapy that we...
Unfortunately, there’s no miracle diet that will cure your arthritis. However, you can follow some basic principles when it comes to food that may help ease your joint pain. At Rheumatology Solutions, our experts recommend consuming a diet that will help reduce inflammation to all of our patients, whether they have osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis,...
Scleroderma is a rare condition and one that scientists don’t fully understand. It has two forms: localized scleroderma and systemic sclerosis. The specialists at Rheumatology Solutions offer treatment for systemic sclerosis, and though there is no cure, treatment can slow the progression of the disease and help improve your quality of life. It’s an autoimmune...
Gout is common, incurable, and painful. Finding out that you have a disease that fits that description can cause worry, to say the least! However, knowing a little more about what you’re dealing with can be helpful. At Rheumatology Solutions, our experts understand that getting diagnosed with gout can bring about many questions....
Around 3% of the world’s population has psoriasis, and around 30% of people who have psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis. More rarely, you can develop psoriatic arthritis first or without having psoriasis at all.The talented physicians at Rheumatology Solutions treat patients who have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Those with psoriasis often ask if there’s any way to know...
When you’re first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you’ll likely begin taking one of several drugs classified as DMARDs—disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. DMARDs don’t work for everyone; they can also stop working as well after some time for some people.At Rheumatology Solutions, our providers are happy to provide infusion services in a clean, comfortable infusion center,...
Injections deliver medications directly into the tissues or joints that are causing you pain. Several rheumatological conditions can be treated effectively with musculoskeletal injections. The providers at Rheumatology Solutions routinely treat patients with injections, and in this post, we describe some of the conditions that may benefit from them. Plantar fasciitis This painful condition affects...
When you hear someone talk about lupus, they are most likely talking about systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) because it’s the most common form of lupus, which is a relatively rare condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn’t have recent information regarding how many people have SLE, but estimates that...
Arthritis is an umbrella term that includes more than 100 different diseases in several broad categories. One of those categories is inflammatory arthritis, and the most common type of inflammatory arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, or RA. RA is an autoimmune disorder, where your body attacks the lining of your joints,...
It hurts to bend your knee or to put weight on it at all. Should you exercise? Could exercise cause more damage to your joint?The highly skilled and knowledgeable providers at Rheumatology Solutions recommend regular exercise for most patients, especially those with osteoarthritis. In this post we describe some of the positive effects of exercise...
Dietary supplements are everywhere, and often they’re promoted as miracle cures, even for conditions that we know are incurable, like osteoarthritis. However, some supplements are beneficial for some people, under some circumstances. At Rheumatology Solutions, our highly skilled and experienced providers do often suggest nutritional supplements for people with osteoarthritis....
The intense pain and swelling of a gout flare-up are enough to make anyone work to prevent another if at all possible. As it turns out, several strategies can help you manage your condition and experience fewer flares. The experts at Rheumatology Solutions can help you develop a plan to manage your gout. We create...
Intravenous, or IV, infusion therapy can be used to successfully treat numerous conditions. An infusion is different from an injection, and the experts at Rheumatology Solutions have discovered many patients have questions about our infusion services. Here, we describe why we might suggest infusion therapy, what you can expect during...
When it comes to nutrition, you can probably find a study to support just about any approach. From being vegan to following a keto diet, there’s more conflicting advice than on just about any other topic you care to name. The patients who come to Rheumatology Solutions often have questions...
Your musculoskeletal system is made up of your bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and all the other structures that allow you to move. Injuries can happen because of overuse, sports, or even simply stumbling while you walk, and numerous medical conditions can cause issues with your musculoskeletal system. At Rheumatology Solutions,...
In the United States, around 1.5 million people have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Though the condition primarily affects the joints, it can cause other issues as well. For example, one year after diagnosis, your risk of a heart attack or stroke is 60% higher than that of a person without RA. ...
About 1.5 million people in the United States have psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Roughly 30% of people with psoriasis develop PsA. At Rheumatology Solutions, our team of expert providers want to help our psoriasis patients understand their risk for psoriatic arthritis and limit it as much as possible. Psoriatic arthritis Not...
About 1.5 million people in the United States have lupus, and the majority, about 90%, of them are women. There are four types of lupus, but most cases are systemic lupus. At Rheumatology Solutions, our providers treat numerous patients with systemic lupus. Our treatment plans vary and depend largely on...
Gout is a painful form of arthritis, usually affecting the joint in your big toe. It’s caused by a condition called hyperuricemia, which involves having too much uric acid in your body. Although there are several risk factors for gout, quite a few of them are modifiable, including your diet. ...
According to findings released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 55 million adults in the United States have arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the leading form of the disease, but psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus are also common types. Though all forms of arthritis affect your joints, other...
Source: https://covid19.sanantonio.gov/Reports-Statistics/Dashboards-Data https://covid19.sanantonio.gov/Reports-Statistics/Dashboards-Data/Vaccination-Statistics#vaccinations-statistics https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/08/01/leading-sa-ut-health-sa-doctor-says-97-of-covid-19-patients-in-area-hospitals-are-unvaccinated/ 7- Day average of new cases: 1,391 per day 27,918 new cases in the last 30 days Total cases: 259,636 Hospitalized patients with COVID-19: 1,299 Patients in the ICU: 333 Patients on ventilators: 214 ...
On 12 August 2021 the FDA expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to include a 3rd injection for people whose immune system are moderately to severely impaired. The third dose of the vaccine must be at least 28 days after the second injection...
The appeal and advantages of IV infusion therapy aren’t always obvious at first glance. However, many arthritis patients find that IV infusion therapy carries benefits they hadn’t expected. In this post, we’ll explore some of those benefits. The highly trained and specialized providers at Rheumatology Solutions understand the toll that...
Gout is one of the most common types of arthritis, with about eight million people in the US diagnosed. Most of the time, gout affects the joint of your big toe, though other joints can be involved. Almost everyone who has gout has comorbidities such as obesity, type 2 diabetes,...
Patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease are often treated with medications called DMARDs (disease modifying antirheumatic drugs) that suppress the immune system. DMARDs are necessary to prevent pain, swelling, damage, dysfunction, disability and even death. The underlying rheumatic condition and the medication to treat it can increase the risk for...
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. Inflammation is a central part of this process. I was also a Special Forces Medic in the Army and learned...
Systemic sclerosis is sometimes called scleroderma. “Sclero” is from a Greek word that translates to “hard,” and “derma” from a Latin one that means “skin.” The word origin gives you a good idea of one aspect of the disease. Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune rheumatic disease. As our name suggests,...
At Rheumatology Solutions, our dedicated staff has expertise in treating numerous inflammatory conditions, including psoriatic arthritis. If you have psoriasis and you’re concerned about whether or not you’re developing psoriatic arthritis, we may be able to help you. Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic condition, and there is no cure, but...
Regardless of the form, it’s difficult to live with arthritis. You want to retain mobility and range of motion for as long as possible, but also limit the severity of your symptoms. Luckily, there are treatments and lifestyle changes you can make that help with both. At Rheumatology Solutions, our...
COVID has spread worldwide and is the largest public health crisis of the century. There are more than 100 million cases and more than 2.5 million deaths. This occurred in spite of modern medicine. However, much has been learned. We now have vaccines, have treatments, and more advances are coming. ...
Sjӧgren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disorder affecting about four million Americans. Autoimmune disorders are often difficult to diagnose, and Sjӧgren’s syndrome can be difficult to recognize. However, there are symptoms that may prompt you to see a rheumatologist if you recognize them. The experts at Rheumatology Solutions are aware of...
The Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine is administered as a single intramuscular injection. It received FDA Emergency Use Authorization on 27 Feb 2021 for individuals age 18 and up. It is a replication incompetent recombinant adenovirus type 26 vector expressing the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. In other words, this is...
You already know that exercise is good for you. It helps you maintain a healthy weight, keeps your muscles toned, and improves cardiovascular health. But, when your joints are swollen and painful, exercise is probably the last thing you want to do. At Rheumatology Solutions, our team of experts encourages...
Arthritis is a term used to refer to more than 100 different conditions, and among them are gout and pseudogout. The fact that they are both arthritis is just one of many similarities between gout and pseudogout. However, there are good reasons to be aware of the differences, especially when...
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is administered as an intramuscular injection on day 0 and again 1 month later. The full benefit from the vaccine occurs 2 weeks after the second injection. It provides a 95.6% reduction in risk of COVID-19 in people aged 18-64 and 86.4% reduction in patients aged...
Your body’s immune system is its defense system. When you have an autoimmune disorder, your defenses turn against you. If you have vasculitis, your immune system attacks your blood vessels. The experts at Rheumatology Solutions have expertise in treating several autoimmune disorders, including the various forms of vasculitis. Although scientists...
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is administered as an intramuscular injection on day 0 and again on day 21. The full benefit from the vaccine occurs 2 weeks after the second injection. It has FDA emergency use authorization for people ages 12 and up. This vaccine is not a live virus...
Do you wonder if vaccines are dangerous? Have you read articles that raised concern about the safety of vaccines for people with chronic conditions? Has someone told you that the flu vaccine can cause you to get the flu? At Rheumatology Solutions, our staff of experts would like to take...
Studies show that the usage of dietary supplements is at an all-time high. Vitamin and nutritional supplements can support your body in many ways from basic health care to helping with a rheumatic condition. At Rheumatology Solutions in San Antonio, Texas, you can look to our board-certified physicians and the...
Systemic sclerosis is better known as scleroderma, and it’s a chronic autoimmune condition that affects your tissues. When your body makes and collects too much collagen, the protein in your connective tissues, it sustains multiple types of damage, but skin symptoms are widespread in patients. About 300,000 people suffer from...
Finding out you have lupus can be worrisome and confusing. You probably have questions like “How did I get this?” or “What are my options?” While lupus is chronic and does not currently have a cure, it is treatable. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, meaning your immune system attacks healthy...
On 23 July 2020 the FDA announced that it is requiring new warnings for opioid pain medications. It is now recommended that as a routine part of prescribing opioids, health care professionals should discuss the availability of naloxone with every prescription, including refills. Naloxone reverses the effects of opioids and...
If you're one of the eight million Americans with gout, you probably experience severe pain in one of your joints (most commonly, your big toe). At Rheumatology Solutions in Northeast San Antonio, we frequently treat patients with gout. We can’t cure it for good, but we can keep it from...
Around 1.3 million Americans live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), one of the most common autoimmune conditions in the United States. RA develops when your body's immune system becomes faulty and attacks the synovial membranes that line the insides of your joints and produce lubricating fluids. RA causes pain, stiffness, and...
I am Dr Thomas Hoffmann. This is an update to my thoughts on COVID from late March. 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...
Rheumatic disease includes more than 200 musculoskeletal and autoimmune conditions. Though each rheumatic disease has its own defining characteristics, they all share three hallmark symptoms: pain, inflammation, and stiffness. Rheumatic conditions are also progressive with symptoms that continue to worsen if you don’t get the best treatment. One of today’s most...
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. As a Rheumatologist, I regularly provide care for people with immune problems. As a prior Special Forces...
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 for your protection: If you are coughing/sneezing, limit risk to others...
Prescription Update: Hydrocodone Effective October 6th, 2014 hydrocodone containing products were classified as schedule II medications. Schedule II medications are the most tightly controlled prescriptions available. There are many regulations in place to restrict access to these medications. The goal of these regulations are to prevent abuse, misuse, diversion, and...
