Services & Treatments

The Iowa Clinic Rheumatology Department focuses on patient care for inflammatory arthritis, a group of diseases characterized by inflammation of the joints and other tissues.

Common types of inflammatory arthritis include:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis - Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system – which normally protects its health by attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses – mistakenly attacks the joints. Learn more at arthritis.org.
• Psoriatic Arthritis - Experts estimate that approximately 30 percent of people with psoriasis (a skin condition characterized by itchy, scaly rashes and crumbling nails) also develop a form of inflammatory arthritis called psoriatic arthritis. Symptoms could include join pain and stiffness, skin rashes, nail changes, fatigue, eye problems and swelling and tenderness in fingers and feet. Learn more at arthritis.org.
• Ankylosing Spondylitis - Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory arthritis that causes pain in the joints and ligaments. The most common symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis is chronic pain and stiffness in the lower back, buttocks and hips that usually develops slowly over several weeks or months. Learn more at arthritis.org.
• Systemic Lupus - Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that affects various parts of the body, including joints, kidneys and other organs, skin, blood and even the brain. Learn more at arthritis.org.
• Scleroderma
• Inflammatory Myopathies
• Mixed Connective Tissue Diseases

In addition, we treat:

• Systemic Vasculitis
• Refractory Gout

Please note, in most cases, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis will be referred to a pediatric rheumatologist.

*Definitions provided by arthritis.org.