Compassionate
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Expert diagnosis and treatment for rheumatological conditions
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Focus on improving function and relieving pain
Myositis
Myositis is an umbrella term, incorporating a number of different conditions that cause muscle inflammation as a result of immune attack on muscle tissue. The main categories (each having many subcategories) include;
- Dermatomyositis: affects skin and muscles, and sometimes other organs
- Immune mediated necrotizing myopathy: Largely affects muscles
- Antisynthetase syndrome: Affects muscles, skin, joints and sometimes small blood vessels
- Inclusion body myositis: Largely affects muscles.
Causes of Myositis
For each of the categories above, there is increasing understanding of the driving antibodies leading to the disease. What is not well known, is what causes these antibodies to develop. There are some cases where smoking, genetics, malignancy and some medications may be implicated, but in the majority of cases, the cause is unclear.
Are you experiencing any of the above symptoms?
Book a consultation with Dr Grundy today.
Diagnosis of Myositis
The diagnosis of myositis and the particular type rely on a combination of the following features:
- Elevated muscle enzymes
- Clinical signs and symptoms of weakness
- Imaging findings such as MRI with inflammation in the affected muscle
- Electromyography findings (looks at nerve and muscle signaling and response)
- Biopsy of affected muscle
Treatment Options for Myositis
The treatment of myositis is often quite complex, and involves a combination of:
- Physiotherapy and muscle strengthening
- Corticosteroids
- DMARDS
- Medications given IV (immunosuppressants or pooled immunoglobulin)
Contact Us
If you feel you have a condition or symptoms that may benefit from a Rheumatologist opinion, please seek a referral from your usual treating General Practitioner, and arrange for this to be forwarded to our clinic rooms. Once this referral is received our reception staff will contact you to discuss a booking time.
For further queries, please contact the clinic either by phone during business hours Monday-Friday, or by email.
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