Spring TX arthritis doctor, Dr. Tamar Brionez, has over a decade of experience improving the lives of Spring TX residents through individualized treatment plans and proven pain management techniques. She believes you also deserve to live as pain-free as possible! Call our Spring TX clinic today at (281) 766-7886 for further information on how Dr. Brionez can transform your life.

Spring TX Arthritis Doctor Dr. Brionez

Dr. Brionez of Advanced Rheumatology of Houston is your local Spring TX expert for all of your bone and joint health needs. With over a decade of experience treating and managing rheumatologic conditions, including arthritis, Dr. Brionez is the one to trust with your diagnosis process and pain management.

Dr. Brionez earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from Texas A&M University. She then went on to earn her Doctor of Medicine from Baylor’s College of Medicine. Following her collegiate studies, she obtained her board-certifications in internal medicine in 2007 and rheumatology in 2009.

Dr. Brionez is knowledgeable and passionate about joint health and pain management. She is committed to providing individualized, high-quality care for every patient no matter their condition or pain level. Furthermore, she is constantly learning and keeping up with the latest technologies and methods in her field. These commitments are evidenced by her ongoing participation in three global research studies on pain experimental pain management medications for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis.

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks a person’s joints in a few specific ways. Most ways involve the breakdown of cartilage. Cartilage is the soft, flexible tissue in your joints that allow you to bend without the pain caused by bones rubbing together. This is the case in forms of arthritis like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis diagnosed in the US and is estimated to impact approximately 27 million Americans. It is also known by the name degenerative joint disease.

This chronic rheumatologic condition can impact any joint but is most commonly found in the knees, hip, back, neck, and fingers.

One way osteoarthritis differs from other cartilage-focused forms of arthritis is that the person will typically only experience joint swelling if affected joints are particularly active. Otherwise, the main symptoms of this form are stiffness and pain.

Spring TX arthritis doctor, Dr. Brionez, will help you navigate the large number of creams, pain medications, and exercise options to help you manage your condition and live as pain-free as possible. One commonly recommended form of exercise is yoga.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Most commonly found in women between the ages of 30-50, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease. Much like osteoarthritis, it breaks down the cartilage in a person’s joints causing stiffness and pain over time. It is important to note that in RA, joint stiffness presents more in the mornings than later in the day and more commonly affects the smaller joints in a person’s hands or feet.

However, RA also causes a wide range of other symptoms. This may include a lack of energy, minor fevers, appetite loss, dry mouth and eyes, and the formation of nodules or firm lumps around the elbows and hands.

Despite its many outward symptoms, RA is best diagnosed through blood tests. Spring TX arthritis doctor Dr. Brionez will use specialized bloodwork and an examination of problem areas to determine your most accurate diagnosis. From there, she will work with you on your treatment plan and discuss any pain management you may need.

Advanced Rheumatology of Houston is currently participating in a global research study on rheumatoid arthritis known as the contRAst study. This study aims to test a new medication that may slow the progression of RA. For further information, check out our website or call our Spring TX clinic today.

Psoriatic Arthritis

A third very different form of arthritis Dr. Brionez regularly treats is psoriatic arthritis.

15% of those with the skin condition psoriasis will develop this condition. It affects men and women equally but is most common in individuals between 30-50 years of age. Of this 15%, 40% will not respond to any of the current treatments available.

Spring TX arthritis doctor Dr. Brionez is passionate about pain management and keeping her practice up to date. Therefore, Advanced Rheumatology of Houston is participating in a second arthritic pain management study – the KEEPsAKE study. This study aims to test the effectiveness of an experimental medication that may provide greater relief for those with psoriatic arthritis where available options currently fall short. For further information regarding eligibility, check out our website or call our Spring TX clinic today.

Regardless of your participation in the KEEPsAKE study, Dr. Brionez will work with you to develop a treatment plan and pain management system. She often recommends walking and looking into shoe inserts that reduce stress on one’s feet, ankles, and knees.

Two Unique Forms Of Arthritis

The three previously mentioned forms of arthritis are all known to cause problems by breaking down cartilage over time. These two forms of arthritis, however, operate very distinctly.

Firstly, rather than take away from the healthy tissue in your joints, gout adds small needle-like urate crystals. These crystals cause pain on their own, however much of the pain a person with gout feels comes from their white blood cells attacking the crystals. This most commonly occurs in a person’s feet, beginning with the big toe.

Healthy kidneys will typically remove enough uric acid from the body and prevent this from happening. Therefore, those with lower kidney functions are most at risk for this condition.

Secondly, Dr. Brionez has years of experience treating inflammatory rheumatologic conditions within the family known as spondyloarthritis. Conditions in this family do not attack the cartilage in person’s joints, but rather the ligaments and tendons known as entheses.

The most common condition we see from this family is ankylosing spondylitis. This condition mainly impacts young men in their teens and early 20s, is heavily genetic, and most commonly impacts the ligaments and tendons in one’s back.

Contact Us

Our Spring TX clinic is open from 8 am to 5 pm Monday – Friday. Call your local expert, Spring TX arthritis doctor Dr. Brionez today at (281) 766-7886 for further information on how she can improve your arthritis-related joint pain today!

Spring TX Fun Facts

1. Spring is home to Collins Park, a 55-acres creekside outdoor recreational area.
2. CNN’s Money Magazine voted Spring as one of the most affordable places to live in the country.
3. Lastly, according to rumors, Bonnie and Clyde visited Spring in the 1930s.
4. For further information regarding Spring TX here!