Dr. Joy Schechtman, DO, FACR, FACOI

Media Releases

Get to know Rheumatologist Dr. Joy Schechtman, who serves patients in Peoria, Arizona.

Dr. Schechtman, a board-certified rheumatologist, is the head of Sun Valley Arthritis Center Ltd. in Peoria, Arizona. She has been in private practice since 1985 and in the Valley area since 1987.

A member of the American Arthritis and Rheumatology Association, Sun Valley Arthritis Center Ltd. provides comprehensive rheumatology care for adults and children. Some of the services offered at the Center include: full complement of rheumatology consultations; full complement of osteoporosis consultations (Osteoporosis Center of Excellence); laboratory-blood draws by Sonora Quest and LabCorp; Crescendo (Vectra DA) and Exagen AVISE Diagnostic Specialty Lab analysis; rheumatologic and osteoporosis therapeutic injections and infusions; joint injections including corticosteroids, RPR and FloGraft; Braces Clinic with fitting and supplies; orthotics; osteoporosis DEXA scanning – Osteoporosis Center of Excellence; Open MRI – IAC accreditation; diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound as it relates to joint diseases; rheumatologic and osteoporosis clinical research trials-Phases II, III and IV; weight management and body fat analysis; vitamins, nutraceuticals and pain topicals as they relate to rheumatic and osteoporotic diseases; and nutritional laboratory assessment – SpectraCell Labs.

In addition to seeing patients at her private practice, Dr. Schechttman serves as an Associate Professor at Midwestern University.  

Licensed to practice medicine in Arizona, she is affiliated with Arrowhead Community Hospital & Medical Center, Banner Boswell Medical Center, Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. She is a former Chief of Staff of Arrowhead Hospital.

Following the completion of her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University in 1980, Dr. Schechtman went on to further her training. She performed her internship in internal medicine at Grandview Hospital & Medical Center in 1981, her residency in internal medicine at Doctors Hospital in 1983, and her fellowship in rheumatology at Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 1985.

Ensuring access to the highest level of patient care, the doctor is board-certified in rheumatology and internal medicine by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine (AOBIM). The AOBIM is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease in adults.

Voted Top Doctor in Rheumatology by Phoenix Magazine in 2012 and 2013, Dr. Schechtman is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology (FACR), a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists (FACOI), and a member of the American Osteopathic Association.

Rheumatology is a branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Physicians who have undergone formal training in rheumatology are called rheumatologists. Rheumatologists treat arthritis, autoimmune diseases, pain disorders affecting joints, and osteoporosis. There are more than 200 types of these diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, lupus, back pain, osteoporosis, and tendinitis.

On a more personal note, Dr. Schechtman speaks multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and German.

Recommended Articles

• What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes?

  Diabetes comes with a lot of signs, so it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms before it is too late. It's important to see your doctor before the symptoms become severe. Type 2 diabetes symptoms often develop slowly and most people don’t even know it. It is really important to get a...

• Your Touch Can Influence Your Behavior

  According to a new study an individual's sense of touch can influence the way he or she views the world. According to the researchers at Yale, Harvard, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, textures, shapes and weights can influence judgments and decisions. For example, people who are...

• Creating a Better Body Image

  Dieting, scale obsession, and unhappiness with our body begin at a young age. We are bombarded with perfect, airbrushed models on TV, in print and on billboards. We see the latest and greatest gadgets to lose weight, get a thin waist, make our hair thicker or silkier, keep our skin young and soft...

• Is Hair Dye Safe?

  Dying one's hair is a common routine for men and women who experience changes in the color of their hair as they age. Although long-term safety of these products are not clear, there are some precautionary measures to be followed while using a dye.One should consider the following before dying his...

• What Could an Itchy Vulva Mean?

  The vulva is the external part of the female genitalia, which includes the skin between the anus and the vagina, and the lips of the vagina. An itchy vulva is medically called pruritus vulvae. It is normal for women to experience a slight vulvar itch, but if you have an uncomfortable and persistent...

• What Are the Causes and Symptoms of the Mumps?

  The mumps is a viral infection of the parotid glands, the saliva producing glands present within the cheek in front of the ears. The infection often results in the swelling of the parotid glands. This contagious infection was contained to a large extent after the introduction of the mumps...