How Is Arthritis Diagnosed?
If you’re plagued by persistent joint pain, an arthritis specialist can help diagnose the problem and point you toward relief. So, how is arthritis diagnosed?
While arthritis can be complex, fortunately, diagnosing it is usually straightforward. Together, you and a medical provider can uncover the cause of your pain and find an effective treatment. Summit Orthopedics’ providers diagnose and treat arthritis for patients in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Step 1 of Diagnosis: Recognize the Symptoms
Arthritis is complex. While it sounds like a single disease, there are many different types of arthritis, some more common than others. Osteoarthritis, the most common type, affects more than 32 million U.S. adults.
Nearly everyone experiences joint pain at some time or another. How can you know when to check in with a medical provider? The key word to consider is persistent. When you experience pain and other joint-related symptoms that persist, even after rest, it’s time to see a doctor.
While joint pain is the symptom most associated with arthritis, you may also experience other symptoms. These include stiffness and swelling in the affected joint or joints. Some types of arthritis can also cause seemingly unrelated symptoms such as fatigue, rashes, hair loss, fever and weight loss.
If you experience any of the symptoms of arthritis, jot down the details or make a mental note about what your symptoms feel like and when they occur. For example, you might notice that you experience stiffness in your knee joint in the mornings that affects your range of motion. These details can help your provider make an accurate diagnosis.
The 3 Key Parts of Diagnosing Arthritis
When you visit with an arthritis specialist or another medical provider, they’ll use three primary tools to determine what’s causing your symptoms. The process starts with taking a detailed medical history.
While gathering information to form a diagnosis, your provider may ask questions about your symptoms. They’ll also ask about your overall health, your lifestyle, and your personal and family medical history. Some types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can have a genetic component, so it’s important to speak up if anyone in your family has arthritis.
After talking with you about your medical history, your provider will perform a thorough physical exam, paying particular attention to the joint or joints causing you problems. During this exam, the provider will both look at and listen to your joints.
A provider will visually examine the joint for notable signs of arthritis, such as redness or swelling. You will move the affected part of your body as your doctor checks your range of motion.
It may be obvious what medical providers are looking for when checking for arthritis, but what are they listening for? A joint affected by arthritis may make distinctive noises, such as a grinding, snapping or popping noise from damaged cartilage or air bubbles in the joint fluid.
If your provider suspects you have arthritis based on your medical history and an exam, they may use imaging tests to confirm a diagnosis. In most cases, an X-ray is sufficient to show whether a joint is affected by arthritis. A normal joint will appear smooth and cushioned by cartilage, while an arthritic joint may have bones touching each other.
Less commonly, a provider may order magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a computed tomography (CT) scan, an ultrasound or nerve tests as diagnostic tools. However, symptoms and quality of life, rather than imaging results, govern treatment of arthritic symptoms.
Diagnosing Arthritis: Determining What Type of Arthritis You Have
Once your provider has determined that you have arthritis, the next step is to ascertain what type of arthritis you have. Your provider will perform a physical exam and a review of your lifestyle habits. These can give clues to the type of arthritis you have.
Imaging studies can help evaluate your condition and even give some hint as to its origin. For instance, an X-ray can verify a joint injury due to sports or some type of trauma or an anatomical defect in the joint.
If you’re experiencing symptoms more common with an inflammatory arthritis, such as hair loss, fever, dry mouth or a rash, your provider may recommend blood tests to look for inflammation markers and other signs of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Providers may use several different types of blood test:
- Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP) checks for antibodies in people with rheumatoid arthritis
- C-reactive protein measures levels of a protein produced by the liver that increases when inflammation is present in the body
- Complete blood count, also called CBC, may be used to detect anemia, which is common among people with rheumatoid arthritis
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate measures inflammation in the body and can be used in the initial diagnostic process as well as for managing treatment
- Rheumatoid factor (RF) looks for a particular antibody sometimes found in people with rheumatoid arthritis
Because some forms of arthritis are what’s known as “diseases of exclusion,” providers may use additional blood tests to rule out other medical conditions that could be causing your symptoms. This can include tests to gauge thyroid function, kidney function, liver function, electrolytes and markers of infection.
Note that while RF and anti-CCP tests are often part of diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis, they aren’t always definitive indicators of the disease. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, some people with rheumatoid arthritis never test positive for RF, while some people who test positive for RF don’t have rheumatoid arthritis.
The same is true for anti-CCP testing. Some people with rheumatoid arthritis test negative for anti-CCP antibodies. Because of that, providers use blood tests as one part of a full diagnostic process. An arthritis specialist can use a number of resources to determine whether arthritis is causing your symptoms, what type of arthritis you have and how to best treat it.
Start your journey to stronger, healthier joints. Find an arthritis expert or request an appointment online to schedule a consultation.
