That’s actually a very good question.
Pain doctors are experts at managing chronic pain conditions, while rheumatologists treat systemic autoimmune conditions.
I think that in this instance, seeing either a sports doctor or a rheumatologist as a start would be reasonable.
If you are more concerned about ruling out a systemic autoimmune illness as a cause for your joint hypermobility, you should probably make a rheumatologist your first port of call.
On the other hand, a sports doctor will be able to better manage your joint pain and instability. Sports doctors are still fully trained medical doctors – they spend at least 3 years doing general medicine, and then another 3 years rotating through Sport Medicine-related specialities such as orthopaedics. So even if you started with a sports doctor, if he suspects that your joint hypermobility may be a manifestation of some systemic illness, he will still refer you to see a rheumatologist.
There are a few differential causes for hypermobile joints, which include hereditary connective tissue disorders and inflammatory joint conditions:
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Marfan’s syndrome
- Joint hypermobility syndrome
- Benign hypermobility joint syndrome
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
Cheers
