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R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

Joined: 09/02/2011

Expert Profile:

Dr. R. Swamy Venuturupalli is a board-certified rheumatologist practicing in Los Angeles. He is Clinical Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA as well as being Editor-in-Chief of Current Rheumatology Reports.

Dr. Venuturupalli grew up in Bombay, India, the son of two physicians. In 1995, he received his medical degree from the prestigious Topiwala National Medical College in Bombay. Dr. Venuturupalli completed his residency in Internal Medicine, with distinction, at the Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. Following his residency, he was appointed Chief Resident in the department of medicine at Syracuse University, where he was in charge of managing and training 65 residents.

In 1999, Dr. Venuturupalli moved to Los Angeles for a combined fellowship in health services research with UCLA's School of Medicine, the RAND Corporation, and the Greater Los Angeles Veteran's Administration Medical Center. Along with his cohort, he conducted research on complementary and alternative medicine, publishing studies on Ayurvedic medicine, dietary supplements, and mind-body medicine. Dr. Venuturupalli then completed a rheumatology fellowship at the UCLA-Olive View medical program in 2002.

Dr. Venuturupalli's role as research investigator includes over a hundred clinical trials involving conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory muscle diseases, ankylosing spondylitis, etc. He participates in ongoing rheumatology research with Dr. Daniel Wallace, a leading physician in the field, at the Cedars Sinai Division of Rheumatology. Dr. Venuturupalli lectures frequently to the general public and to the staff and faculty at Cedars Sinai Hospital on various topics in rheumatology, including alternative and complementary medicine. He was also recently invited to give grand rounds at Cedars on topics such as antiphospholipid syndrome and myositis. Dr. Venuturupalli has authored numerous text-book chapters, is published in peer-reviewed journals, and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Current Rheumatology Reviews.

For the past eight years, Dr. Venuturupalli has held a private practice in association with a group of 4 rheumatologists. Dr. Venuturupalli is highly regarded by his colleagues and is a sought-after teacher in his field of expertise. He has served as the past president of the Southern California Rheumatology Society, a non-profit professional organization of rheumatologists focusing on professional education.

Areas of expertise: Inflammatory Muscle disease, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Anti- Phospholipid syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, Osteoporosis, Vasculitis.

For more information visit Dr. Swamy's website and Facebook page.

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Reply: Hip pain

Hip disease can occur in a patient with lupus in a number of ways,...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Hip pain Hip disease can occur in a patient with lupus in a number of ways,...

Reply: confused

This is a tough question. I would try to obtain as many records as...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:confused This is a tough question. I would try to obtain as many records as...

Reply: confused

This is a tough question. I would try to obtain as many records as...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:confused This is a tough question. I would try to obtain as many records as...

Reply: flair ups

A flare up is different for every person. Some people will flare...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

A flare up is different for every person. Some people will flare for a few weeks, others months, others years. It all depends on how you respond to your meds, and how you look after yourself (sleep, stress, etc). Firstly, it is important to confirm that this is indeed a lupus flare and not something else such as a pinched nerve from disc prolapse, shingles or other viral conditions etc. In case of a lupus flare, steroids are generally very effective. If the 60 mg does not seem to last all day long, sometimes I recommend going to 30 mg twice a day. A set of lab work and evaluation by your primary phyiscian may be helpful.

In addiiton to prednisone and pain medications, there are several other options for lupus patients to consider for pain management. This list is not exhaustive, but covers some of the basics.

Other Lupus Pain Management Options:

Some patients who have chronic pain that are not responding to medications should consider consultation with a pain management specialist. Some non-medical treatments for pain can also be useful, including acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, and physical therapy.

Physical therapy. Physical and occupational therapy can help control lupus pain through exercises designed to keep muscles strong and to maintain the full motion of your joints. Physical therapy can also teach you ways to protect your joints from injury.

Mind-body techniques. These treatments take advantage of your mind's ability to influence physical symptoms. Breathing exercises, relaxation training, and meditation are all good ways of lowering stress, which can be an important part of your pain management plan.

Massage. This treatment can be very relaxing and soothing, but it's important to tell the massage therapist about your lupus diagnosis first. Ideally, the therapist should have experience working with lupus patients.

Acupuncture. This ancient treatment has been used for nearly 2,500 years to help people manage a variety of health ailments. The National Institute of Health has concluded that acupuncture is effective in relieving many types of pain including pain related to fibromyalgia. Although there is limited evidence regarding the use of acupuncture to treat lupus pain specifically, a recent study published in the journal 'Lupus' found that even a few sessions of acupuncture may be effective in reducing pain in lupus patients.

Rest is important and controlling stress are also very important. Wish you the best!View Thread

Posted byR Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:flair ups A flare up is different for every person. Some people will flare...

Reply: back and neck tension

A good example of a neck exercise regimen can be found here: ...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:back and neck tension A good example of a neck exercise regimen can be found here: ...

Reply: lupus and pregnancy

You don't mention whether you are male or female, in any case...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:lupus and pregnancy You don't mention whether you are male or female, in any case...

Reply: Friday is Put on Purple (POP) Day!

Happy POP day to everyone supporting Lupus Awareness.

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

7 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Friday is Put on Purple (POP) Day! Happy POP day to everyone supporting Lupus Awareness.

Reply: back and neck tension

What you're describing is the beginning stages of muscle tension...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:back and neck tension What you're describing is the beginning stages of muscle tension...

Reply: skin problems to sun

I agree with the above excellent suggestions about clothing and...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:skin problems to sun I agree with the above excellent suggestions about clothing and...

Reply: Does Lupus cause surgery (hardware) allergies?

It seems like you are having a terrible time. I am hoping that your...

Posted by R Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Does Lupus cause surgery (hardware) allergies? It seems like you are having a terrible time. I am hoping that your...

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