Rheumatologist OnCall

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Rheumatologist OnCall

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Board-certified rheumatologists for autoimmune & arthritis care — telehealth in 20 states + Costa Mesa, CA. From unclear diagnosis to lasting remission.

Rheumatologist OnCall provides people with convenient and accessible access to specialized rheumatology care. With the goal of addressing the unique needs of patients dealing with rheumatic conditions, this innovative platform offers a range of benefits:

👨‍⚕️ Expert Consultations: Rheumatologist OnCall connects patients with experienced rheumatologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and other autoimmune disorders.

📱 Telehealth Convenience: Patients can access consultations from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the need for time-consuming and potentially challenging in-person visits.

🌐 Accessible Anywhere: Whether you reside in a rural area or a bustling city, Rheumatologist OnCall ensures that expert care is available to you, regardless of your location. Check out the states where we are licensed!

🔒 Secure and Private: The platform prioritizes patient privacy and data security, adhering to strict confidentiality standards.

📋 Comprehensive Care: Rheumatologist OnCall offers a comprehensive approach to managing rheumatic conditions, from diagnosis to ongoing treatment and support.

⏰ Timely Assistance: Patients can schedule appointments at their convenience, reducing waiting times and ensuring prompt attention to their healthcare needs.

💼 Collaborative Care: The platform encourages collaboration between patients and physcians, fostering a patient-centered approach to managing rheumatic conditions.

📊 Education and Resources: Rheumatologist OnCall strives to empower patients with information and resources to better understand and manage their conditions.

10/28/2026

Your bloodwork came back normal.

Your joints still hurt. Your fingers still swell.

And now you're being told it's probably nothing.

Is there a blood test for psoriatic arthritis?

No. There's no single blood test that confirms or rules out psoriatic arthritis.

The antibodies used to identify rheumatoid arthritis are usually negative in psoriatic arthritis. Inflammation markers like CRP and ESR are often normal too. So a "normal panel" isn't the reassurance it sounds like.

How is psoriatic arthritis diagnosed?

By a clinician, ideally a rheumatologist, who examines your skin, your nails, and your joints together, sometimes with the help of imaging like ultrasound.

Normal labs shouldn't close the door. What you need is the right exam.

Dr. Vishnuteja Devalla, our team's psoriatic arthritis and gut health expert, explains in part five of his series. Next, he'll show you how to ask for that exam.

Were you told your labs were normal while your symptoms kept going? Share your experience in the comments.

10/28/2026

"Your psoriasis is so mild. That can't be what's causing your joint pain."

If someone has told you that, this is for you.

Can you have psoriatic arthritis with only mild psoriasis?

Yes. The amount of psoriasis on your skin tells you far less about your joints than most people think.

One small patch behind an ear can be enough. Some people have serious joint disease and almost no visible skin involvement at all.

And some people have psoriasis they've never noticed, because it's hiding:

In the scalp
Behind the ears
In the belly button
Between the buttocks

These hidden spots are worth checking properly, and worth mentioning to your doctor.

Dr. Vishnuteja Devalla, our team's psoriatic arthritis and gut health expert, explains in part four of his series.

Were you ever told your skin was "too mild" to explain your joint pain? Share your experience in the comments.

10/27/2026

What supplements help rheumatoid arthritis?

Fish oil (omega-3s): the strongest evidence. In studies, people with RA who added high-dose fish oil to their DMARDs had higher remission rates, less morning stiffness, and needed fewer anti-inflammatory painkillers. Choose a third-party tested product, and check with your doctor if you take a blood thinner.

Vitamin D: foundational. Many people with RA are low, and low vitamin D is linked to a higher risk of autoimmune disease and to osteoporosis, which RA already makes more likely. Get your level checked and supplement to your target.

Probiotics: promising, but early. Your gut and your immune system are connected, but the RA research is still young. Fermented foods like kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut are an easy, low-risk place to start. If you're on a biologic or JAK inhibitor, ask your rheumatologist before starting a probiotic supplement.

My advice: add one at a time, not all at once.

And please hear this: supplements don't cure RA, and they don't replace your medication, no matter what anyone online promises. Use them to support your health and your treatment, not to replace it.

Save this, and share it with someone with RA who's been sold a miracle.

Which supplements have you tried, and did any of them help? Share your experience in the comments.

In The Remission Circle, rheumatology-trained physicians separate evidence from marketing, so you can spend your money and energy on what actually helps. Education and community, not medical care.
Join here: https://community.rheumatologistoncall.com/

10/27/2026

Celery juice. Cutting out every nightshade. A $300 food sensitivity test. A cleanse that promises to "reset your immune system."

If you have RA, someone has tried to sell you all of it.

So let's talk about what actually works.

Can diet help rheumatoid arthritis?

Yes. Not as a cure, but as real support for your treatment.

What does the evidence point to? An anti-inflammatory, Mediterranean-style way of eating:

Fatty fish and omega-3s
Olive oil
Nuts
Plenty of vegetables and legumes

And cutting back on ultra-processed foods and excess sugar.

What's a waste of money? Food sensitivity blood tests, detoxes, cleanses, and any supplement that promises to cure RA.

Food won't replace your medication. But together with treatment, gentle movement, good sleep, and stress management, it becomes part of a whole-person plan.

And please remember this: an RA diagnosis is not a life sentence. Remission is real. A full, active life is real.

If you want to go deeper, I wrote a book for exactly this: Thriving with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Coping Skills for Joint Pain, Fatigue, and Daily Life.

Get it here: https://amzn.to/3ZVmKpX

Inside The Remission Circle, we'll go deeper into Thriving with Rheumatoid Arthritis together: diet, movement, fatigue, and daily life with RA, with live teaching and your questions answered by rheumatology-trained physicians. This month, Dr. Titianu is teaching on food, movement, and inflammation. Education and community, not medical care.
Join here: https://community.rheumatologistoncall.com/

What changes to your diet have helped you, and what turned out to be a waste of money? Share your experience in the comments.

10/26/2026

Your child had a virus. A few weeks later, their knee is swollen.

Or they finished a round of antibiotics. Or they just had their shots.

And now you're wondering: did that cause this?

Can viruses cause juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)?

No single virus has been proven to cause JIA. Researchers think infections may act as a trigger in children who are already genetically prone to it.

What's more common is post-viral arthritis: joint pain and swelling after an infection that usually goes away on its own within a few weeks. That's one reason JIA is only diagnosed when arthritis lasts six weeks or longer.

Can medications cause JIA?

Some medications can cause temporary joint pain or swelling as a reaction. Some studies have noticed links between early antibiotic use and JIA, but a link isn't proof of cause, and no medication has been shown to cause JIA.

Can vaccines cause JIA?

No. Large studies have found no link between childhood vaccines and juvenile arthritis. Vaccines remain one of the best ways to protect children, including children with JIA.

The honest answer: JIA is called "idiopathic" because we don't yet know exactly what causes it. It's most likely a mix of genes, the immune system, and environment. It is not something you caused.

Dr. Saumya Joshi, our pediatric rheumatology partner, explains in this clip from our podcast. Dr. Joshi sees children and teens by telemedicine, now seeing families in Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey, Arkansas, Florida, and Texas.

Book an appointment with Dr. Joshi: https://rheumatologistoncall.com/our-team/dr-joshi

Parents, did your child's joint symptoms start after an illness? Share your experience in the comments.

10/26/2026

What makes a rheumatologist different when the goal is remission, not just managing symptoms?

At Rheumatologist OnCall®, we treat rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriatic arthritis and other autoimmune diseases with one question in mind: what would it take for your life to stop revolving around your disease?

We start with an accurate diagnosis, combine evidence-based treatment with nutrition and movement, and build a long-term remission strategy around you as a whole person.

The goal is fewer flares, more good days, and getting back to the things you love.

Between visits, our patients keep learning with us in The Remission Circle, our patient education community.

Swipe through the journey from pain to possibility.

Your first step is here.
https://rheumatologistoncall.com/

10/26/2026

You slept eight hours. You woke up exhausted.

You rested all weekend. You're still exhausted.

And when you told someone, they said, "Everyone's tired."

Not like this.

Why does rheumatoid arthritis cause so much fatigue?

RA fatigue is real. It isn't laziness, and you're not imagining it.

It starts with the inflammation itself. Then other things pile on: anemia, poor sleep, pain, and the emotional weight of living with a chronic illness.

Can fatigue mean your RA isn't controlled?

It can. Fatigue this heavy can be a sign that your disease is more active than it looks. That's why it deserves a real workup, not a shrug.

What should you get checked?

Anemia
Thyroid function
Vitamin levels
Your medications
Your mood
How active your RA actually is

Getting the inflammation under control often helps the most. Movement, good sleep, and managing stress help too. And if the fatigue lingers even when your RA is quiet, keep asking questions.

Your fatigue is real. It deserves to be taken seriously.

What does RA fatigue feel like for you? Share your experience in the comments. Someone reading this has never heard anyone describe it the way they feel it.

In The Remission Circle, rheumatology-trained physicians take symptoms like fatigue seriously, and help you understand what's behind them and what to ask. Education and community, not medical care.
Join here: https://community.rheumatologistoncall.com/

10/25/2026

Before you read this, look at your fingernails.

Tiny pits, like pinpricks.
A nail lifting away from the skin.
Ridges.
A yellow, orange, or salmon-pink patch under the nail, as if oil had seeped underneath.

Can your nails be a sign of psoriatic arthritis?

Yes. And they're one of the most overlooked clues.

The nail is anchored to the same spot where the fingertip joint's tendons attach, which is exactly where psoriatic arthritis inflammation tends to start. That's why nail changes and joint symptoms so often show up together, and why your nails can be a stronger clue than how much of your skin is affected.

One caveat: nail fungus can look similar. If you notice these changes, especially alongside joint pain or stiffness, have a doctor take a look.

Dr. Vishnuteja Devalla, our team's psoriatic arthritis and gut health expert, explains in part three of his series.

Did you find any of these when you checked? Share in the comments. Someone else may be checking their nails for the first time today.

10/25/2026

You wake up stiff. Your hands are swollen. You're exhausted.

Is this a flare? Or did you just do too much yesterday?

How can you tell an RA flare from a bad day?

An RA flare is a real increase in disease activity: more swelling, longer morning stiffness, and deeper fatigue, usually in several joints, lasting more than a day or two.

A bad day from overdoing it usually settles on its own with rest.

What triggers an RA flare? The most common triggers are infections, major stress, and missed doses of your medication. Overexertion and poor sleep can play a role, and some people notice that a lot of sugar and processed food makes things worse. Weather can change how you feel, but it doesn't drive the disease.

Your flare plan:

Don't panic.
Don't stop your long-term medication on your own.
Rest the affected joints.
If it's severe or lasts more than a few days, call your rheumatologist instead of pushing through.
If you have a fever or signs of infection, call first, since some RA medications need to be paused.
Track it, so you and your doctor can spot your pattern.

One important exception: a single hot, very swollen joint with a fever isn't a typical flare. It needs urgent care.

And if flares keep coming back, your treatment may need adjusting. The goal is remission, not managing one flare after another.

Save this, and share it with someone who needs a plan for their next flare.

What does a flare feel like for you, and what helps you get through it? Share your experience in the comments.

10/24/2026

One whole finger, swollen like a sausage.

Heel pain that doesn't make sense.

One knee aching, but not the other.

The very tips of your fingers hurting, maybe with changes in your nails.

If your joint pain has never followed a clear pattern, there may be a reason.

Why does psoriatic arthritis look so different from other arthritis?

It often starts with enthesitis: inflammation where tendons and ligaments anchor to bone. That's why a whole finger or toe can swell (called dactylitis), why the heel gets involved, why one side can hurt more than the other, and why the fingertip joints are affected, which rheumatoid arthritis usually leaves alone.

Once you know the pattern, you start to recognize it.

Dr. Vishnuteja Devalla, our team's psoriatic arthritis and gut health expert, explains it in this second video of his series.

Has anyone ever told you your joint pain "doesn't fit a pattern"? Share your experience in the comments.

Learn more from Dr. Devalla and our team in The Remission Circle, with live monthly teaching and your questions answered. Education and community, not medical care.
Join here: https://community.rheumatologistoncall.com/

Address

3151 Airway Avenue, Unit A1
Costa Mesa, CA
92626

Website

https://rheumatologistoncall.com/

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