Radiant Rheumatology

09/12/2026

Why rheumatology?

For Dr. Shubha Kollampare, the answer has a lot to do with the patients.

Rheumatology often means caring for people with complex conditions that don’t always come with simple answers. It means listening closely, looking at the whole picture, and building relationships with patients over time.

In this video, Dr. Kollampare shares a little about what drew her to the specialty and why rheumatology became the right fit for her.

We’re looking forward to sharing more of these conversations with you—about rheumatology, patient care, and some of the questions we hear every day at Radiant Rheumatology.

09/11/2026

09/10/2026

What brings you in today?

It sounds like such a simple question. But when you’re living with chronic illness, the answer may represent weeks, or months, of symptoms, questions, worries and hope.

As an appointment approaches, there can be so much hope that this will be the one that finally brings answers or relief. At the same time, there’s anxiety. Which symptoms should I focus on? How do I explain what I’m feeling? What if my tests are normal again? What if there still aren’t answers?

In this week’s Living Radiantly Patient Perspectives, one patient shares what it feels like to prepare for a medical appointment while carrying both hope and the fear of another disappointment.

And from our perspective at Radiant Rheumatology: You don’t have to tell your story perfectly. Just start where you can.

Read the full Patient Perspective:

As a medical appointment approaches, hope for answers can collide with anxiety, frustration, and the pressure to explain months of symptoms in just a few minutes. One patient shares what it feels like to walk into an appointment carrying both hope and the fear of another disappointment.

09/08/2026

When you hear “rheumatologist,” you might immediately think arthritis. And yes, we treat arthritis, but rheumatology goes far beyond aching joints.

Rheumatologists specialize in conditions that affect the joints, muscles, bones, and immune system. That includes autoimmune and inflammatory diseases that can cause symptoms throughout the body.

Depending on the condition, patients may experience things like joint pain and swelling, prolonged morning stiffness, muscle pain or weakness, unexplained fatigue, rashes, fevers, dry eyes or mouth, and other symptoms that don't always seem connected at first.

Conditions treated by rheumatologists can include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, Sjögren's disease, ankylosing spondylitis/axial spondyloarthritis, gout, vasculitis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and many others.

That's one reason rheumatology can sometimes feel a little like detective work. We're not always looking at one painful joint. We're looking for patterns across symptoms, your medical history, physical examination, labs, imaging, and, most importantly, what you're experiencing.

09/07/2026

Labor Day is often thought of as a day off from work. But for people living with chronic illness, the relationship with work can be complicated.

Sometimes working means pushing through pain, fatigue, brain fog, or other symptoms that no one around you can see.

Sometimes it means asking for accommodations or learning to do your job differently.

Sometimes it means reducing your hours, changing careers, or stepping away from work altogether when your health no longer gives you a choice.

And sometimes the hardest work isn't a job at all. It's managing appointments, medications, symptoms, insurance, treatments, and the everyday responsibilities of life while living in a body that doesn't always cooperate.

This Labor Day, we're recognizing all the different ways people work and reminding you that your worth has never been measured by how much you can accomplish in a day.

09/04/2026

Myth or Fact? Arthritis Only Affects Older People.

❌ Myth.

While arthritis becomes more common with age, it can affect people of all ages, even children.

In fact, many autoimmune forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, often develop in adults between the ages of 30 and 60, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis affects thousands of children and teens.

Arthritis isn't simply a normal part of getting older.

It's a medical condition that can cause inflammation, pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue and early diagnosis and treatment can make a significant difference.

Signs that shouldn't be ignored include:

💜 Joint pain or stiffness that lasts for weeks

💜 Swollen or warm joints

💜 Morning stiffness that lasts longer than 30 minutes

💜 Fatigue that accompanies joint symptoms

If you're experiencing persistent joint pain, don't assume you're "too young" for arthritis or that it's just something you have to live with.

The sooner the cause is identified, the sooner you can begin a treatment plan designed to protect your joints and improve your quality of life.

Have you ever been told you were "too young" to have arthritis?

09/03/2026

Something as simple as “Let’s get out of the house” can become surprisingly complicated when chronic illness is part of your life.

Where can we go? Is it accessible? What’s the weather like? Has she eaten? Will there be something she can eat? How crowded will it be? What do we have planned tomorrow? Will her body have enough time to recover?

And sometimes, after considering all of that, we go anyway.

In this week’s Patient Perspectives, we’re talking about the things most people never see behind an ordinary outing and why the need for fun, spontaneity and a change of scenery doesn’t disappear just because accessing those things becomes harder.

Read: Chronic Illness and Getting Out of the House: There’s No Such Thing as “Just Going Out”

Getting out of the house can sound simple, but chronic illness can turn even an ordinary outing into a series of calculations. From weather and food to accessibility, energy and tomorrow’s plans, sometimes a little change of scenery requires far more planning than anyone sees.

09/02/2026

September is Pain Awareness Month.

Pain is often described with a number.

“What’s your pain today on a scale of 1 to 10?” But a number doesn't always tell the whole story.

Pain can mean you didn't sleep last night. It can mean turning down plans because you're not sure you'll make it through them. It can make concentrating at work difficult, turn everyday tasks into exhausting ones, or leave you calculating how much an activity today might cost you tomorrow.

And chronic pain can become so familiar that you may even stop mentioning some of the ways it affects your life.

When talking with your healthcare provider, don't be afraid to describe more than how much you hurt. Talk about what the pain is preventing you from doing, when it's at its worst, what makes it better or worse, and how it is affecting your everyday life.

Because understanding your pain means understanding more than a number.

09/01/2026

Your story could be exactly what another patient needs to hear.

Our Patient Perspectives series was created to give people living with chronic illness a place to share the experiences that don't always make it into conversations about diagnoses, medications and lab results.

And now, we've made it easier to share your perspective.

You don't have to tell your whole story. Write about a difficult day. A small victory. Something you wish others understood. How weather affects your symptoms. The challenges of working while feeling unwell. Advice you'd give someone newly diagnosed. Or something completely different.

It's your perspective. You decide what matters.

You can use your name, remain anonymous, or share something with us that you don't want published at all. And don't worry about being a “writer.” If your thoughts need a little help becoming an article, we'll work with you.

Scan the QR code to share your perspective.

Because sometimes telling your story helps you recognize how far you've come and sometimes your words help someone else feel a little less alone.

08/27/2026

It's easy to leave an appointment and suddenly remember all the questions you meant to ask.

Writing them down ahead of time can help you get the most out of your visit.

Here are five great questions to start with:

💜 1. Are my symptoms a sign of a flare or something else?
Understanding what's causing changes in how you feel can help guide the next steps.

💜 2. Is my current treatment working as expected?
Ask what improvements you should be seeing and how long they typically take.

💜 3. Are there any side effects I should be watching for?
Knowing what to expect and what should prompt a phone call can help you feel more confident about your treatment.

💜 4. What can I do between appointments to better manage my symptoms?
Small changes in daily habits, activity, or self-care may help you feel your best.

💜 5. When should I contact the office instead of waiting for my next appointment?
Knowing when to reach out can help prevent a small concern from becoming a bigger problem.

Your rheumatology appointment is a conversation, not a test. There are no "bad" questions when it comes to understanding your health.

📝 Pro tip: Keep a list of your symptoms, medications, and questions on your phone or in a notebook before your appointment. You'll be glad you did.

What's one question you've always wanted to ask your rheumatologist?