HOW DOES YOUR DOCTOR PROPERLY DIAGNOSE OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA)?
Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of chronic knee pain, especially for people over 50 years old. If you have knee pain and your x-rays show evidence of “wear and tear”, then it is extremely likely that you have osteoarthritis. But knee pain has other causes to consider, so each person with knee pain needs a complete evaluation before a diagnosis is made. In fact, if you have normal x-rays and/or if there was a recent injury, it is more likely you have a problem other than osteoarthritis. Your goal is to get the definitive answer to the question: “what is my diagnosis?”
To figure out what is wrong with your knees, your doctor will gather information about you from 4 main sources:
- Your symptoms– Your doctor will want to hear about your description of your knee pain in your words, to the best of your recollection.
- Your medical history– Your doctor will review your history of medical problems to see if there are factors related to your knee pain.
- Your physical examination– Your doctor will examine your knee to check if your pain is coming from muscles, tendons, ligaments, or bones/joint.
- Your diagnostic tests– Your doctor will review x-rays and any other tests you have had.
