<s>[INST] When Should A Patient See a Rheumatologist? [/INST] If you have had sudden onset of multiple joint pain. Maybe it takes an hour or more in the morning to feel like you can move because you’re so stiff. Certainly there can be multiple ways that arthritis presents. Everyone doesn’t fit a textbook diagnosis, but the one important thing to stress is that with inflammatory arthritis having treatment is really important. The sooner you can be treated, the less damage you will have. We try to stress that. You’re not doing yourself any favors by trying to tough it out. It will be harder to treat the longer you wait. Ideally we would like to get someone in remission in four to six months. Source: Illinois Bone & Joint Institute. Link: https://www.ibji.com/blog/rheumatology-autoimmune-care/common-questions-about-arthritis/. Field: Rheumatology. Disease: Arthritis </s>