When your joints, muscles and ligaments are in pain, the movement you need to perform daily tasks can become next to impossible.
The board-certified rheumatology specialists at Prima CARE have the expertise to provide you with an accurate diagnosis and address your pain at its source. Our team of rheumatologists includes:
Our offices are among the Prima CARE locations in Fall River, MA.
Dr. Mark Fisher is board-certified in Rheumatology. Dr. Fisher earned an M.D. at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and an MPH at the UMDNJ School of Public Health, completed an internal medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and completed a rheumatology fellowship at NYU's Hospital for Joint Diseases. Dr. Fisher previously practiced at Massachusetts General Hospital, is on the medical staff at Saint Anne's Hospital, is a member of the American College of Rheumatology and speaks Portuguese and English. Read Dr. Fisher's full bio.
Rheumatologists are trained to diagnose and treat rheumatic diseases, which involve the joints, muscles and ligaments. Some of the most common conditions our rheumatology team sees at Prima CARE include:
Yes. You may pose more than an average risk of developing a rheumatic disorder if:
If these conditions describe your medical history, don’t hesitate to communicate with your primary care physician about a referral to a rheumatologist.
While occasional aches and pains are a normal part of living with a body, pain that is severe and persistent should be treated as a red flag. The sooner you bring your symptoms to your rheumatologist, the sooner we can begin treating the problem and preventing further damage. Your primary care doctor may also diagnose you with a rheumatic disease and refer to you a rheumatologist for care.
Osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear on the joints over time. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which means the immune system attacks the joints, often causing swelling, morning stiffness and pain in the same joints on both sides of the body. The two are treated differently, so an accurate diagnosis matters.
Your rheumatologist will ask about your symptoms, examine your joints and order blood tests and sometimes X-rays or ultrasound. There is no single test for rheumatoid arthritis, so your rheumatologist looks at all of the results together. Early diagnosis and treatment can help protect your joints.
Bring your insurance card, a list of your medicines, and any recent lab work or X-rays. Write down which joints hurt, when the pain started and how long morning stiffness lasts. This helps your rheumatologist make the most of your visit.
