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Main > Specialty Areas > Rheumatology >
Diagnosis of Arthritis
The diagnosis of arthritis can be difficult because some of the symptoms and signs of Arthritis are common to some other diseases. To diagnose Arthritis, doctors review the symptoms, the age and sex of the patient, medical history of patient and family, physical examination and also, such high-tech tools as X-rays, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, (MRI) and lab tests (discussed on the next page). The patient needs to visit the doctor more than once to make a more accurate diagnosis. Some of the details of the diagnosis are described below:
Medical History of Patient and Family
Doctors review the complete medical history of patient with joint pain. Doctors try to find out the following factors for accurate diagnosis:
How often does the pain occurs and how long it last
When did the pain occurred first
Is the pain in one or more joints
Physical activity has any effect on pain
Is there a family history of any arthritis or rheumatic diseases
What kind of treatment done in past
It may be helpful for people to keep a daily journal that describes the pain. Patients should write down what the affected joint looks like, how it feels, how long the pain lasts, and what they were doing when the pain started.
Thorough Physical Examination
The doctors examine all of the patient's joints for redness, warmth, deformity, ease of movement, tenderness, etc. Because some forms of arthritis can affect other organs. Thus a complete physical examination including the heart, lungs, abdomen, nervous system, and eyes, ears, throat, etc. may be necessary.
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| Random Useful Tip: |
Epinephrine shot If you are known to have a severe anaphylactic reaction, carry an epinephrine (adrenaline) shot with you at all times. Pay attention to expiration date and replace it regularly: upon expiration, it loses its effectiveness. |
| Random Drug Info: |
Levothyroxine Levothyroxine is a pure synthetic form of T4 hormone that is made in a laboratory to be an exact replacement for the T4 that the human thyroid gland normally secretes. It comes in multiple strengths, which means that an appropriate dosage can almost always be found for each patient. |
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