Top 6 Rheumatologists in South Africa (2026)

Rheumatology is the science dealing with muscles, bones, joints and the skin. Thus, it's the specialty of medicine dedicated to disorders of the musculoskeletal system. This disorder vary from chronically disabling arthritis & critical illnesses involving many organs of the body down to milder but nagging and persistent illnesses like chronic backaches and neck aches due to occupational hazards like teaching, farming or long hours on the pc.

Most people with any kind of joint pains go to an orthopedic surgeon. This is a mistake. Orthopedic surgeons, as the name indicates, are surgeons; they operate fractures and perform joint replacements and cartilage tears.

Their training is in repair of broken or broken bony structures. Orthopedic surgeons aren't trained in dealing with arthritis or osteoporosis etc. These disorders are dealt with by Rheumatologists, who are specialists trained in dealing with and managing these Rheumatic diseases, that are essentially “Auto-Immune” in nature. “Auto” meaning “Self” and “Immune” relates to “Immunity”.

This diseases result from malfunction of your own body’s immunity. Your immunity, that is designed to protect you, “malfunctions” and instead starts harming you. Why this happens, and that too solely in some people, is still not well understood and is a subject of intense worldwide research.

The part or organ of the body, where the immune system “attacks”, becomes inflamed and if not treated on time, the inflammation causes damage of that specific organ of the body. Any organ of the body can be affected by autoimmune disease.

Treatments: Rheumasurgery, Joint immobilization, Drug Therapy, Aquatic therapy.