Rheumatology Clinic Online

Specialist assessment of joint pain, autoimmune disease and inflammatory conditions — a clear work-up, a treatment plan and follow-up.

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Appointments in Swedish, English and Arabic
Evidence-based care
Written plan after every visit

About the clinic

Rheumatology is about the immune system attacking the body's own tissues — usually the joints, but often the skin, the eyes and internal organs as well. What makes the specialty time-critical is that many inflammatory joint diseases cause permanent joint damage early in the course, before the symptoms feel at their worst. There is therefore a treatment window where intervention makes a far greater difference than it does later — which is the whole reason joint problems lasting more than a few weeks are taken seriously.

We prioritise catching inflammatory patterns early — morning stiffness that lasts a long time, symmetrical joint problems, skin or eye symptoms at the same time — because it is precisely the time factor that decides how well the treatment works.

Who we help

You with reduced mobility in your joints
You with warm or red joints
You with stiffness in the hands or fingers
You with knee or hip pain
You with chronic body-wide pain
You with a rash alongside joint pain
You with eye inflammation linked to joint problems
You with fever and joint symptoms
You who would like a second opinion on a rheumatology diagnosis

Symptoms

Conditions

Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Systemic lupus (SLE)
Psoriatic arthritis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Gout
Vasculitis
Sjögren's syndrome
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Fibromyalgia

Services and examinations

A medical assessment and symptom analysis
Digital assessment of joint function
Interpretation of blood tests (inflammation, autoantibodies)
Review of imaging (X-ray, MRI, ultrasound)
A treatment plan and medication review
Long-term follow-up

How it works

1Book and describe your main problem online.
2Upload previous results if you have them — test results, examinations, medication list.
3Video consultation — review of your history and targeted questions.
4A clear plan — next steps, any treatment, and a timeframe for follow-up.

What to prepare

A timeline of your symptoms (when it started, what triggers or relieves it)
Current medications and doses
Known allergies and previous illnesses
Previous test results and examinations, with dates if possible
Your three most important questions for the visit

Call your local emergency number immediately or go to the nearest emergency department if you have:

Sudden severe joint pain with fever (suspected joint infection)
Being unable to move a part of the body
During an ongoing infection: sudden confusion, rapid or laboured breathing, violent shivering, skin that has turned mottled, pale or bluish, or not having passed urine for a day — these can be signs of sepsis. Call your local emergency number. Fever does not have to be present. Treatment with biological medicines or high-dose corticosteroids dampens both the immune response and the fever — the course can then move faster and the signs be fainter.
Pressing or cramping chest pain that doesn't ease within 15 minutes, or that radiates to the arm, neck, jaw or back — as well as difficulty breathing
A sudden severe headache with visual involvement in an older person (suspected giant cell arteritis)

Digital care cannot replace emergency services. If unsure, seek care immediately.

Our doctors

See available doctors and book an appointment

Frequently asked questions

When should I seek care for joint problems?

For long-standing joint pain, stiffness or swelling.

Do I need tests before the appointment?

Not always, but they can help the assessment.

Can you make a diagnosis online?

We give guidance, but sometimes a physical examination is needed.

Can you prescribe treatment?

Yes, where it is medically appropriate.

Do rheumatic diseases require long-term follow-up?

Yes, many of them do.

Can you interpret blood tests and X-rays I have already had?

Yes.

What happens after the appointment?

A written plan.

What do I do if things get worse?

What is the difference between osteoarthritis and arthritis?

Osteoarthritis is wear and tear and causes stiffness that eases within minutes. Arthritis is inflammation and causes morning stiffness lasting longer than half an hour — that difference is often decisive.

Does a positive rheumatoid factor mean I have rheumatic disease?

No. The test can be positive without disease and negative despite disease — the diagnosis is made on the whole picture.

Fifteen common conditions

Osteoarthritis

Typical age: More common with increasing age.
Background: Degenerative joint disease, breakdown of cartilage.
Symptoms: Pain and stiffness, particularly after rest.
What the doctor looks for: The symptom pattern.
Investigations: The clinical picture, sometimes an X-ray.
Diagnosis: The clinical picture, with or without imaging findings.
Management: Physical activity, pain relief.
Follow-up: Regular.
Prognosis: Chronic but manageable.
What you can do yourself: Strength training around the joint is the most effective thing. Note that the stiffness eases within a few minutes — that is what separates osteoarthritis from inflammatory disease.
When should you book?: For joint pain that affects everyday life.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Typical age: Adults; more common between 30 and 60.
Background: An autoimmune joint disease.
Symptoms: Symmetrical joint swelling, morning stiffness.
What the doctor looks for: The pattern of joints involved, and how long the morning stiffness lasts.
Investigations: Blood tests (autoantibodies, inflammatory markers), imaging.
Diagnosis: A combination of clinical and laboratory criteria.
Management: According to the specialist plan, often immunomodulating treatment.
Follow-up: Regular.
Prognosis: Good with early treatment.
What you can do yourself: Note how long the morning stiffness lasts — more than 30 minutes is an important sign.
When should you book?: Promptly, for swollen, tender small joints with long-lasting morning stiffness. The time window matters.

Systemic lupus (SLE)

Typical age: More common in young women.
Background: An autoimmune disease that can affect several organs.
Symptoms: Rash, joint pain, fatigue, sometimes organ involvement.
What the doctor looks for: The combination of symptoms.
Investigations: Blood tests (autoantibodies).
Diagnosis: A combination of clinical criteria and test results.
Management: According to the specialist plan.
Follow-up: Regular, often multidisciplinary.
Prognosis: Varies; good control is achievable with treatment.
What you can do yourself: Sun protection — UV exposure can trigger a flare. Note symptoms that come and go.
When should you book?: For joint pain alongside a rash, fever or pronounced fatigue.

Psoriatic arthritis

Typical age: Adults with known or suspected psoriasis.
Background: An inflammatory joint disease linked to psoriasis.
Symptoms: Joint pain and swelling, often with psoriasis of the skin at the same time.
What the doctor looks for: The link between skin and joint symptoms.
Investigations: The clinical picture, blood tests, imaging.
Diagnosis: The clinical picture and specialist assessment.
Management: According to the specialist plan.
Follow-up: Regular.
Prognosis: Good with the right treatment.
What you can do yourself: If you have psoriasis, note every new joint problem — joint involvement can come long after the skin symptoms.
When should you book?: For joint pain if you have known psoriasis, even mild psoriasis.

Ankylosing spondylitis

Typical age: Often begins in young adults.
Background: Chronic inflammation of the spine.
Symptoms: Back pain and stiffness, particularly in the morning and at night, improving with movement.
What the doctor looks for: The pain pattern.
Investigations: Blood tests, imaging.
Diagnosis: Clinical criteria and imaging findings.
Management: Physical activity, anti-inflammatory treatment.
Follow-up: Regular.
Prognosis: Good function is achievable with active treatment.
What you can do yourself: Regular mobility training is central and slows the stiffening.
When should you book?: For back pain that is worse at rest and better with movement, particularly in a young adult.

Gout

Typical age: Adults; more common in men.
Background: Uric acid crystals in a joint.
Symptoms: Sudden, very painful joint swelling, often the big toe.
What the doctor looks for: Acute-onset pain and previous episodes.
Investigations: Blood tests (uric acid), the clinical picture.
Diagnosis: The clinical picture, with or without test results.
Management: Pain relief during an attack, preventive treatment for repeated attacks.
Follow-up: As needed.
Prognosis: Good with the right treatment.
What you can do yourself: During an attack — rest the joint and avoid putting weight on it. In the longer term: cut down on purine-rich food, alcohol and sugary drinks.
When should you book?: After the first attack, and always for repeated attacks (preventive treatment is available).

Vasculitis

Typical age: Varies with the type.
Background: Inflammation of the blood vessels.
Symptoms: Varies; can include a rash, fatigue and organ involvement.
What the doctor looks for: The combination of symptoms.
Investigations: Blood tests, often specialist investigation.
Diagnosis: Requires specialist investigation.
Management: According to the specialist plan.
Follow-up: Regular.
Prognosis: Varies with the type and the extent.
What you can do yourself: Note every symptom, including ones that seem unrelated — vasculitis often affects several organs.
When should you book?: Promptly, for a rash with fever and a general deterioration.

Sjögren's syndrome

Typical age: More common in middle-aged women.
Background: An autoimmune disease affecting the glands.
Symptoms: Dry eyes, a dry mouth, sometimes joint pain and fatigue.
What the doctor looks for: The combination of symptoms.
Investigations: Blood tests, sometimes specialist investigation.
Diagnosis: Clinical criteria and test results.
Management: Symptom relief, sometimes immunomodulating treatment.
Follow-up: Regular.
Prognosis: Chronic but manageable.
What you can do yourself: Regular dental checks — a dry mouth raises the risk of decay noticeably.
When should you book?: For dry eyes and a dry mouth lasting months.

Polymyalgia rheumatica

Typical age: More common after 65.
Background: An inflammatory condition with muscle pain.
Symptoms: Symmetrical pain and stiffness in the shoulders and hips, with morning stiffness.
What the doctor looks for: The symptom pattern and the age.
Investigations: Blood tests (inflammatory markers).
Diagnosis: The clinical picture, with or without test results.
Management: Corticosteroid treatment according to the specialist plan.
Follow-up: Regular tapering.
Prognosis: A good response to treatment.
What you can do yourself: Note whether you have difficulty lifting your arms above your head in the morning — a typical pattern.
When should you book?: Promptly, for symmetrical shoulder pain in a person over 65. For headache and visual involvement at the same time — emergency care.

Headache and visual involvement at the same time in an older person can indicate giant cell arteritis — an emergency, see the safety box.

Fibromyalgia

Typical age: More common in middle-aged women.
Background: A chronic pain syndrome with no clear structural cause.
Symptoms: Widespread chronic pain, fatigue, disturbed sleep.
What the doctor looks for: Exclusion of other causes, and the combination of symptoms.
Investigations: The clinical picture, blood tests to rule out other conditions.
Diagnosis: The clinical picture after other causes are ruled out.
Management: Multimodal — physical activity, pain management, sometimes medication.
Follow-up: As needed.
Prognosis: Chronic, but manageable with the right support.
What you can do yourself: Gradually increasing physical activity has the best documented effect, even when it feels counter-intuitive.
When should you book?: For widespread pain lasting more than three months.

Morning stiffness — what does it mean?

Typical age: All adult ages.
Background: How long the morning stiffness lasts is one of the most useful single symptoms in rheumatology, and something the patient can easily observe. Stiffness that eases within a few minutes points to wear and tear; stiffness lasting more than half an hour points to inflammation — a distinction that governs the whole direction of the work-up.
Common symptoms: Stiffness in the joints in the morning, or after a longer rest.
What the doctor looks for: The exact duration, which joints are involved, and whether the stiffness is symmetrical.
Investigations: Blood tests (inflammatory markers, autoantibodies) where the morning stiffness is long-lasting.
How the assessment is made: The duration is used as the first sorting point between an inflammatory and a degenerative cause.
Management: Depends on the diagnosis that is established.
Follow-up: According to the findings.
Risk factors to know: A family history of rheumatic disease, smoking (which raises the risk of rheumatoid arthritis considerably), psoriasis.
Common misconception: That all morning stiffness is age-related. Long-lasting morning stiffness is one of the strongest signs of inflammation that needs treating.
What you can do yourself: Time how long the stiffness lasts over a week — note the time of day when it eases.
When should you book?: For morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes for more than a few weeks.
Prognosis: Good where an inflammatory cause is identified early.

Joint pain alongside an infection

Typical age: All ages.
Background: Joint pain after an infection is common and usually temporary — but it differs fundamentally from septic arthritis, a bacterial joint infection which is an emergency and can destroy the joint within days. The difference lies in whether a single joint is markedly swollen, warm and almost unusable.
Common symptoms: In reactive arthritis: pain in several joints after an infection has passed. In septic arthritis: one joint, markedly swollen, warm, with fever and an inability to move it.
What the doctor looks for: Whether one joint or several are involved, whether there is fever, and how quickly the symptoms came on.
Investigations: Blood tests; joint aspiration where septic arthritis is suspected — which requires emergency care in person.
How the assessment is made: The number of joints involved and the presence of fever are decisive.
Management: Reactive arthritis: anti-inflammatory treatment. Septic arthritis: emergency antibiotics and drainage.
Follow-up: According to the diagnosis.
Risk factors to know: A recent gastrointestinal or urinary tract infection (reactive arthritis), a weakened immune system, a joint prosthesis or a recent joint injection (septic arthritis).
Common misconception: That joint pain after an infection is always harmless. A single markedly swollen and warm joint with fever is an emergency.
What you can do yourself: Check whether the joint is warm and whether you have a fever — that is the most important difference.
When should you book?: For joint pain after an infection lasting more than two weeks. For a single markedly swollen, warm joint with fever — emergency care the same day.
Prognosis: Good in reactive arthritis; critically dependent on early treatment in septic arthritis.

Rheumatic disease and eye problems

Typical age: All ages.
Background: Several rheumatic diseases affect the eyes — and sometimes the eye symptoms come first. Uveitis can be the first sign of ankylosing spondylitis, and untreated uveitis can cause permanent damage to sight. That makes the link between rheumatology and ophthalmology more clinically relevant than many patients realise.
Common symptoms: Red, light-sensitive eyes with aching and blurred vision (uveitis), or dry, gritty eyes (Sjögren's).
What the doctor looks for: Whether the eye problems are recurrent, and whether there are joint problems at the same time.
Investigations: An eye examination through an ophthalmologist; rheumatology blood tests.
How the assessment is made: By connecting eye and joint symptoms that have often been assessed separately.
Management: Directed at the underlying disease, along with local eye treatment.
Follow-up: Regular eye checks where there is a known risk condition.
Risk factors to know: Ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile arthritis in children, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease.
Common misconception: That red eyes are always an infection. Where there is rheumatic disease at the same time, uveitis should always be considered — the treatment is entirely different.
What you can do yourself: Tell both the rheumatologist and the ophthalmologist about the other diagnosis — it is surprisingly often information that does not get through.
When should you book?: For red, light-sensitive eyes with aching, particularly where rheumatic disease is known. This should be assessed promptly.
Prognosis: Good with early treatment; delay can leave permanent effects on sight.

Fatigue in rheumatic disease

Typical age: All adult ages.
Background: Fatigue is one of the most disabling symptoms in inflammatory rheumatic disease — often ranked higher than the pain by patients themselves — but it is also the symptom that usually gets the least attention in healthcare. It is caused by the inflammation itself, not just by sleeping badly.
Common symptoms: Marked fatigue that is not eased by rest, and difficulty concentrating.
What the doctor looks for: Whether the fatigue follows the disease activity, and whether there are treatable contributing causes.
Investigations: Blood tests (inflammation, haemoglobin, iron, thyroid, vitamin D).
How the assessment is made: By separating inflammation-driven fatigue from anaemia, depression or disturbed sleep — several are often present at once.
Management: Better disease control; treatment of anaemia or deficiency; adapted physical activity has a documented effect.
Follow-up: Regular.
Risk factors to know: Active inflammation, anaemia, iron deficiency, disturbed sleep, depression, low physical activity.
Common misconception: That the fatigue is something you simply have to accept. It is often treatable, particularly once the inflammation is better controlled.
What you can do yourself: Rate the fatigue daily for two weeks and compare it with how your joints are — the link is often clear and useful in the treatment discussion.
When should you book?: When the fatigue affects work or everyday life, regardless of how your joints are.
Prognosis: Often a considerable improvement once inflammation and deficiencies are treated.

Corticosteroid treatment — benefits, risks and tapering

Typical age: All adult ages.
Background: Corticosteroids are among the most effective medicines in rheumatology and can give almost immediate symptom relief — but long-term treatment carries real risks, above all osteoporosis and effects on blood glucose. Many patients have questions they have not had time to ask, and some stop the treatment on their own, which can be dangerous.
Common symptoms: During treatment: weight gain, difficulty sleeping, effects on mood, raised blood glucose.
What the doctor looks for: The length of treatment, the dose, and whether bone-protective treatment is in place.
Investigations: Blood glucose, blood pressure, bone density measurement where treatment is longer.
How the assessment is made: By weighing disease control against the risk of side effects.
Management: The lowest effective dose, calcium and vitamin D, bone-protective medication where treatment is longer.
Follow-up: Regular while treatment is ongoing.
Risk factors to know: Long-term treatment, a high dose, age, previous fractures, diabetes.
Common misconception: That you can stop corticosteroids as soon as the symptoms have gone. Treatment over a longer period always requires tapering — stopping abruptly can cause serious adrenal insufficiency.
What you can do yourself: Never stop abruptly. Calcium, vitamin D and weight-bearing exercise protect the skeleton during treatment.
When should you book?: For questions about side effects, ahead of a planned taper, or for longer treatment without bone-protective measures.
Prognosis: Good — the risks are largely preventable with the right follow-up.

Contact

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The information on this page is general patient information and does not replace an individual medical assessment. Digital care has limitations and cannot handle emergencies — see the emergency box above. If you are unsure, contact healthcare services or your local emergency number.

About this content

This information draws on established Swedish clinical sources, primarily 1177 Vårdguiden, Internetmedicin and Läkemedelsboken. It is general patient information and does not replace individual medical assessment.