
Dr. Max I. Hamburger, MD, FACP, FACR
Rheumatologist | Rheumatology
1895 Walt Whitman Rd Melville NY, 11747About
Dr. Max Hamburger is a rheumatologist practicing in Melville, NY. Dr. Hamburger specializes in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases and systematic autoimmune conditions that can affect the bones, muscles or bones. Eventually, if not treated, these illnesses can also impact the skin, eyes, nervous system and internal organs. Dr. Hamburger treats diseases similar to orthopedists but does not perform surgery. Often times, research is conducted to find potential alternatives for the patients illness.
Board Certification
Internal MedicineAmerican Board of Internal MedicineABIM- Rheumatology
Provider Details

Dr. Max I. Hamburger, MD, FACP, FACR's Expert Contributions
Dr. Hamburger - Rheumatic Diseases
Autoimmune conditions develop when the immune system sends inflammation to areas of the body when it is not needed which causes damage/symptoms. These rheumatic diseases can cause long-term damage to the body. Rheumatic diseases can be complex and difficult to diagnose, rheumatologists will look...
What can I give my daughter for continuous elbow pain?
It depends on the cause. In adults, elbow pain would usually be tendonitis. Lateral epicondylitis or tennis elbow is inflammation of a tendon that attaches to one of the bony bumps or epicondyles on the inside and outside of the elbow. On exam, it’s very easy to localize and diagnose. It’s unusual in a ten year old though, and so what part of the elbow hurts is key. That the pain is described as continuous makes me feel a little caution here. Before just treating the symptoms, I’d want to make a diagnosis. I’m sorry not to be more immediately helpful, but an exam is key, as is the history. READ MORE
Does chiropractic help rheumatoid arthritis?
I'm not aware of any evidence suggesting that chiropractic care has a specific role in meeting the treat to target goals for RA: reducing inflammation, preventing joint damage, preventing disability. In my forty years of personal experience treating patients in our rheumatology practice, some patients have reported short-term benefits from chiropractic care for minor back and other musculoskeletal symptoms, but not for potentially serious autoimmune and inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. READ MORE
Expert Publications
Data provided by the National Library of Medicine- Differentiation of hyaluronate products by qualitative differences in their immunogenicity in rabbits: possible mechanism for product-specific severe adverse reactions? Comment on the article by Martens.
- Osteoarthritis and beyond: a consensus on the past, present, and future of hyaluronans in orthopedics.
- Influence of an educational seminar on use of disease activity measurements by rheumatologists in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Response to Biologic Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs after Discontinuation
- Reticuloendothelial system Fc receptor function in the drug induced lupus erythematosus syndrome.
- Immunoresponsiveness in acute babesiosis in humans.
- Assessment of reticuloendothelial system function in man using receptor-specific probes.
- Visual evoked potentials altered by serum IgG of patients with multiple sclerosis.
- Reticuloendothelial system fc receptor function in rheumatoid arthritis.
- A critical review of therapeutic apheresis in the treatment of severe rheumatoid arthritis.
- NIH Conference: Immunoglobulin G Fc receptor-mediated clearance in autoimmune diseases.
- Defective Fc-receptor functions associated with the HLA-B8/DRw3 haplotype: studies in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis and normal subjects.
- Sjögren's syndrome (Sicca syndrome): current issues.
- Multiple types of immune complexes in patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia.
- Opsonic requirements for intravascular clearance after splenectomy.
Dr. Max I. Hamburger, MD, FACP, FACR's Practice location
Dr. Max I. Hamburger, MD, FACP, FACR's reviews
Write ReviewPatient Experience with Dr. Hamburger
Media Releases
Get to know Rheumatologist Dr. Max I. Hamburger, who serves patients in New York. Dr. Hamburger is Managing Partner of Rheumatology Associates of Long Island (RALI), a leading rheumatology practice focused on providing comprehensive and compassionate care to patients suffering from diseases that affect the muscles, joints and bones. With convenient offices in Smithtown, Port Jefferson Station, Melville, Staten Island and Riverhead, New York, the practice’s goal is to help patients enjoy life again – free of pain. Dr. Hamburger is board-certified in both Rheumatology and Internal Medicine by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), an ethically-driven, professional membership organization committed to improving the care of patients with rheumatic disease and advancing the rheumatology subspecialty. Dr. Hamburger founded the New York State Rheumatology Society (NYSRS) in 2004 and served as its President until 2017. The New York State Rheumatology Society represents the interests of rheumatologists and allied health care providers treating autoimmune and other musculoskeletal disease in New York State. Their mission is to promote the standards of excellence for rheumatology care, provide educational and professional development opportunities for their members and to support advocacy efforts which foster healthcare policies that improve and protect patients’ access to the highest quality health care. Dr. Hamburger grew the organization to more than 150 members, conducting two annual meetings attracting rheumatologists from throughout the Northeast, and established NYSRS as the official organization of rheumatologists recognized by both the ACR and the Medical Society of the State of New York. Dr. Hamburger extended his commitment to continuing medical education on a national scale, with the formation in 2005 of the American Society of Clinical Rheumatologists ( ASCR). ASCR members affiliated to advance the identity of the rheumatologist as the specialist in the diagnosis and medical management of musculoskeletal diseases, and to serve the medical community as educators. To date, as led by Dr. Hamburger, ASCR members have presented more than 1000 accredited Continuing Medical Education lectures to community physicians and other rheumatologists. As the continually changing healthcare environment became progressively more challenging, Dr. Hamburger then founded and serves as Executive Chairman of United Rheumatology (UR) LLC, the preeminent Management Services Organization supporting independent practice rheumatologists across the country. Dr. Hamburger founded UR in 2014 in order to help rheumatologists strengthen the doctor patient relationship and provide the highest quality cost effective care in the face of an ever more complex health care environment. UR currently has 530 members in 37 states. Dr. Hamburger served as Chief of Rheumatology at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center from 1988 until 2006, and was Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook from 1979 until he retired from his academic position in 2017. He is a Founding Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology, where he represents New York State on the Affiliated Societies Council. He also serves the Honorary Board of Directors of the Long Island Arthritis Foundation. Dr. Hamburger is a member of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He has been named “Top Doctor” for the last fifteen years by Castle Connolly, and by Stratford, and one of Long Island’s Top Doctors by Newsday from 2008 through to 2019. Dr. Hamburger received his undergraduate degree at Rutgers University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude in 1969. He received his medical degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, in 1973. He served as an intern and resident at the NYU Bellevue Hospital Center from 1973 until 1976. Thereafter, he served as a Clinical Associate in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and also on the Arthritis Branch, National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases, from 1976 until 1979. Dr. Hamburger joined the full-time teaching faculty at SUNY Stony Brook in 1979, and then entered full time private practice in 1981. Dr. Hamburger has been the lead author or author of over 50 publications. He has been honored by the Arthritis Foundation for his service to the Long Island community, receiving the Regina Quick Award for Medical Excellence. Rheumatology is a branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatologists treat arthritis, autoimmune diseases, pain disorders affecting joints, and osteoporosis. Dr. Hamburger utilizes the latest diagnostic testing and up-to-date treatment techniques to provide his patients with the best possible treatment.
Recommended Articles
- How is Arthritis Diagnosed?
Arthritis is the common term used to describe over a hundred types of ailments that affect the joints. There are several causes of arthritis including physical wear and tear, autoimmunity, infections, and faulty metabolism, among others. Arthritis is a progressive disease with no known cure.Common...
- 14 Warning Signs of Lupus
When the body attacks its own cells and organs including the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood, and brain, the condition is called lupus. It is an autoimmune disease brought about because the body can’t distinguish between healthy cells and foreign germs or viruses. It is a chronic...
- Treatments for Back Pain
The aim of treatments for back pain is to relief pain and restore mobility. Adjusting your activities is the essential treatment for easing acute back pain caused by minor injury or strain. Back pain treatments are determined by the duration you have experienced the pain, the severity and your...
- What Are Rheumatoid Nodules?
Rheumatoid nodules are small, firm lumps that form subcutaneously near the affected joints in people with rheumatoid arthritis. About 25% to 35% of people with rheumatoid arthritis develop nodules in different parts of the body. These lumps are often connected to the skin through tendons or fascia....
- Model Shares Photo of Lupus Blisters to Give Others Confidence
Model Jokiva Bellard will not let lupus define her as she shares a photo of herself with her blisters to give others battling this chronic illness enough confidence to love themselves for who they are.Setting the example for othersJokiva Bellard saw a big change in her life once scars and blisters...
- What Is a Barrel Chest?
Barrel Chest A barrel chest refers to an individual's chest that appears to be always partially inflated. It looks as if they are taking a deep breath with their rib cage broadened. An individual with a barrel chest may find it hard to breathe.A barrel chest may develop due to osteoarthritis or...
Nearby Providers
- Dr. Sheldon Paul Blau MD566 Broadway Massapequa New York 11758
- Dr. Benjamin Levine M.D.1157 Broadway Hewlett Hewlett NY 11557
- Peter Gregersen OtherNsuh-Dept Of Medicine Manhasset NY 11030
- Dr. Meggan Mackay MD350 Community Dr Manhasset NY 11030
- Dr. Cynthia Aranow M.D.350 Community Dr Manhasset NY 11030
- Dr. Mark L Bernstein MD2500 Route 347 Stony Brook NY 11790
Nearest Hospitals
PLAINVIEW HOSPITALl
888 OLD COUNTRY ROAD PLAINVIEW NY 11803ST JOSEPH HOSPITALl
4295 HEMPSTEAD TURNPIKE BETHPAGE NY 11714UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL ( STONY BROOK )l
HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER SUNY STONY BROOK NY 11794ST CATHERINE OF SIENA HOSPITALl
50 ROUTE 25A SMITHTOWN NY 11787