Introduction to biomechanics


The 12 Things You Must Look For In An Arthritis Expert

Finding the right arthritis specialist isprocess. The use of diagnostic ultrasound
extremely important since arthritis not onlyallows the physician to perform joint
can cripple you but it also can significantlyinjections with 100% accuracy. Diagnostic
shorten  lifespan.ultrasound is also much less expensive than
magnetic  resonance  imaging  (MRI).
I give a lot of talks and the questions I
hear a lot are: "I went to an arthritis7. They should have completed at least 100
specialist and they weren't anything special"clinical research studies. Physicians who
or  "How  do  I  find  a  good  specialist?"have extensive clinical research experience
are much more attuned to the latest therapies
Let's make a distinction here... there's athan those specialists who don't perform
big difference between an arthritisclinical  research.
specialist and an arthritis expert. To get
the  best  results  you  want  an  expert!8. A specialist should have published at
least  50  papers  in the medical literature.
A specialist is just somebody who passed the
board exam. An expert is someone who not only9. How many Google citations does the expert
passed the board exam but who has alsohave? Nowadays, more and more people are
devoted his or her life to becoming the bestgetting their information from the Internet.
in their field. They publish articles, theyThe mega search engine, Google, probably has
do research, they are focused on top-notchthe best ability to search for experts. The
patient care, and they make it their life'snumber of citations a doctor has tells you
work to do their best to help people who havehow much he or she has invested in time and
arthritis.effort to help with patient education and
further their specialty. It stands to reason,
And when it comes to your health, you betterthe more they write the more knowledge and
find someone who is tops! Otherwise you'reexpertise they possess. To see how many
wasting  your  time  and  money.citations they have, just go to Google, put
in the expert's name in quotes, like this,
1. Board certification. Board certification"nathan wei" and then the word "arthritis",
is no guarantee. However, if a doctor isn'tso  it  looks  like  this...
board certified that should send up a red
flag."nathan  wei"  arthritis.
2. You want someone who has been in practiceIf you get fewer than 500 citations, that
at least 20 years. Medicine is like mostperson is not an expert. Remember, not all
skills...the more experience a specialist hasspecialists are experts. It's like any
the better. In 2001, medical errors accountedprofession. There are good ones, there are
for 97,000 deaths in the United States andbad ones, and there are truly great ones. In
there's a direct correlation between lack offact, there are doctors who are pretty
experience  and  medical  errors.terrible. That's right. They're terrible.
Why? Because they don't know their specialty
3. Look for these initials after theand they don't have good patient skills. Do
MD...a.F.A.C.P. This stands for Fellow of theyou really want to be stuck with a lemon? If
American College of Physicians. This meansyou have arthritis, a potentially
the doctor has academic credentials-they'velife-changing disease, don't you think it's
published papers and are respected as anbest  to  see  an  expert?
authority.b.F.A.C.R. This stands for Fellow
of the American College of Rheumatology. This10.What is their staff like? Even a great
means that they are at least board eligiblephysician  needs  a  great  support  staff.
or  board  certified.
11.Do you get the feeling they care? A good
If they don't have FACP as well as FACR,practice  will  make  you  feel  like family.
they're  not  an  expert.
12.Are they part of your insurance plan? This
4. Arthroscopy is an important skill. It'sis a trick question. The very best experts
the ability to look inside the joint with adon't let their decisions get made by the
small telescope and diagnosis and treat. Askinsurance company. Your health is the most
if the arthritis specialist is a member ofimportant possession you have. Don't you want
the Arthroscopy Association of North America?a physician who is going to be working for
These are the most skilled arthroscopists inyou and not for the insurance company?
the  world.Medical decisions affecting your health
should be made with your well-being - not the
5. Do they have in-house laboratory, x-rayinsurance company's bottom dollar-- in mind!
and bone density equipment? If they do, askMost real experts divest themselves of
if their lab is high complexity and certifiedinsurance companies because they do not want
by  the  state  as  a  reference  lab.their judgment clouded by pressure from
insurance companies and they have the
6. Do they have diagnostic ultrasound? Thisreputation  that  allows  them  to  do  that.
is a new technology for visualizing joint
disease. It is used to detect evidence ofIf you found this information valuable and
early inflammation and also to follow thewould like to know more, you can get a copy
effects of medications in slowing the diseaseof our free Consumer Awareness guide.



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