HOW IS ARTHRITIS DIAGNOSED?
Your symptoms: Your doctor will ask you many or all of the following:
- Where is your pain located?
- How long have you been having symptoms?
- How severe is your pain?
- How did the pain start?
- Was there an injury?
- What type of pain are you having?
- What are you unable to do because of your pain? For instance, have you lost your ability to grip, bear weight, bend/kneel/squat, play sports, work, etc.?
- Are you having instability in the affected joint(s)?
- Have you noticed swelling in your joint(s)?
- Do you have stiffness? When does it occur?
- Do you have weakness in the affected joint(s)?
- Are you having fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, abdominal pain, changes in your vision, skin changes, or numbness/tingling?
- New stress, depression, or anxiety symptoms?
- Any other symptoms?
Your medical history: Your doctor will want to know about:
- Prior joint injuries, pain episodes, or other related issues
- What medical problems you currently have
- History of hospitalizations
- History of surgeries
- Medications or supplements, including anything that you recently started
- Your occupation
- Environmental exposures at work or home
- Use of tobacco, alcohol, or drugs
- Family history of joint disease, immune system conditions, bone disorders, etc.
Physical examination: your doctor will examine your joints for pain, tenderness, swelling, loss of motion, instability, or redness. Your doctor may also examine other parts of your body such as your eyes, mouth, skin, heart, lungs, abdomen, etc for signs of inflammation that could be related to your joint concerns.
Diagnostic imaging: Your doctor may need to do tests to look inside the joints. X-rays are usually done to evaluate the joints for evidence of degeneration or destruction patterns consistent with various types of arthritis. In some case, further imaging such as MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, or bone scan may be helpful.
Blood tests: Your doctor may check blood tests depending on what types of arthritis you may have. Blood cell testing and inflammatory markers can generally check for high amounts of inflammation or the possibility of infection. There are many tests for immune system markers to help determine if you have an immune system related arthritis.
Fluid and tissue tests: If you have joint swelling, joint fluid analysis may provide important diagnostic clues to determine what type of arthritis you have. Fluid analysis looks for crystals, cells, and organisms characteristic of certain forms of arthritis. Certain immune-mediated arthritis cause problems in the skin, and tissue sampling (biopsy) can help determine the diagnosis.
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