A rheumatologist recently moved his practice to Leland with plans to help more patients with their aches and pains.

Cape Fear Arthritis Care, owned by David Snow, leased 5,000 square feet on the first floor of the office building at 1003 Olde Waterford Way.

“This was a good location for us,” Snow said. “We’re just across the river for people who want a different approach to aches and pains from Wilmington and for people who don’t want to go into Wilmington from Brunswick County, who hate crossing the bridge.”

Snow, whose practice accepts all forms of insurance except those that have exclusive contracts with other providers, said the main focus in rheumatology is often inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout.

“My interest is not just the inflammatory arthritis. My interest is also helping people with aches and pains, helping them live with them better if we can’t make them go away,” Snow said. “There are ways of managing aches and pains and not suffering from them.”

Those ways include cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy, injections and medications, he said. In addition to Snow, the practice has eight employees.

Cape Fear Arthritis also has about 1,000 patients currently and likely will grow to need more space in the building, which is close to the entrance of the Waterford residential community, Snow said.

Brokers Cody Cress and Tyler Pegg, with The CRESS Group of Coldwell Banker Commercial Sun Coast Partners, represented Cape Fear Arthritis in the transaction, and Hank Adams, also a broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial, represented the landlord.