Christopher R. Mcmaster is a rheumatologist based in Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Rheumatology is about conditions that affect joints, muscles, and the immune system. In day-to-day care, Dr Mcmaster looks after people with long-lasting pain and stiffness, plus the flare-ups that can come and go.
Many patients come in for problems like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other forms of arthritis. At times, the focus is on managing inflammation and helping people move more comfortably, whether that’s through treatment plans, monitoring, or adjusting care when symptoms change.
Some cases involve blood vessel inflammation, including giant cell arteritis (GCA) and vasculitis. These can be serious, especially when symptoms show up in the head and around the temples. Dr Mcmaster also deals with temporal arteritis and similar conditions, where timely assessment matters.
There are also conditions like polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), which often causes aches and stiffness in the shoulders and hips. Related issues like rhizomelic pseudopolyarthritis can show up with similar patterns of pain and stiffness, so careful checks are part of the work.
Not every sore and aching feeling is the same, and at times the cause can be harder to spot. Dr Mcmaster also sees people with fibromyalgia, where pain is real even when scans don’t always show the full story. Infectious and septic arthritis are also part of the mix, which means the approach needs to be thorough and practical.
In some situations, patients may need extra attention because steroids don’t work as expected. Glucocorticoid resistance is one of the areas considered when planning next steps. Tissue biopsy may be used as part of confirming the right diagnosis in certain cases.
Care can include adults and also younger people with juvenile temporal arteritis. The goal is usually the same across different diagnoses: help calm symptoms, support day-to-day function, and keep an eye on complications as treatment moves along.
Dr Mcmaster works with patients in a clear, step-by-step way. Over time, that can make it easier to understand what’s going on and why certain tests or treatments are recommended.
