Introduction
Welcome to LUI Centre for Arthritis & Rheumatology (LUICARE) website!
Let’s start with What is Rheumatology? Rheumatology is a branch of internal medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal disease and systemic autoimmune conditions.
Autoimmune conditions are diseases that arise due to attack on your body’s system by your own immune system. The cause of this is not entirely known so far. The body’s immune system which normally protects you from foreign bacteria, viruses and certain diseased cells in the body loses self-recognition and control, and commences a “friendly fire”, causing inflammation in areas of the body when it is not needed thus leading to damage/symptoms. Commonly affected areas include joints and their surrounding tissues, skin and less commonly internal organs like brain, lungs, heart, kidneys and blood vessels which will then be inflamed. Involvement of the internal organs is a serious matter and urgent treatment is required.
At LUICARE, we determine if there is an autoimmune cause for a wide array of symptoms ranging from joint pains and stiffness, muscular pains and weakness, dry eyes and mouth, fever of unknown cause to certain types of blood disorders like chronically low white cell or platelet count. We provide diagnosis for the different types of autoimmune disorders and aim to treat them into remission before more damage sets in.
Apart from providing care of autoimmune-related arthritis, we provide care for many different types of joint disorders. One of the commonest problems affecting the joints is Arthritis, which is a condition where one’s joints become inflamed due to many reasons – from degeneration to gout to infection, resulting in joint pains and occasionally swelling. The common misconception is that arthritis is a disorder that affects only the elderly. This condition can affect children, teenagers and young adults.
Not uncommonly, arthritic conditions are diagnosed after several months or years, especially if the inflammation affects the spine. Apart from persistent joint pain, stiffness and swelling, this condition can result in joint or spinal deformities, which can affect activities of daily living and quality of life.
Unlike Arthritis, Rheumatism is a condition where structures surrounding the joint articulation are affected, and this refers to soft tissues like tendons, ligaments and even the muscles. This is a common disorder that can affect homemakers to working adults. At LUICARE, we aim to provide early and accurate diagnosis and treat your rheumatic condition promptly for good outcome. Treatment instituted may include both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical methods, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and podiatry services.
We look forward to be of service to you!
Dr Lui Nai Lee