Diagnosing Arthritis
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Video Description:One in seven Americans will be diagnosed with arthritis at some point in their lifetimes. Let's look at the process.
Transcript:One in seven Americans will be diagnosed with some form of arthritis during their lifetime. How does this diagnosis take place? A diagnosis of arthritis usually occurs following a thorough medical history, possibly physical examination and an imaging procedure, like an X-ray.If you’re experiencing symptoms of arthritis—like pain, swelling or stiffness in your joints—make an appointment with your doctor. When you arrive for your appointment, your doctor will begin by taking a detailed medical history. Come prepared to answer questions about illnesses in your family, medications you’re currently taking, and the duration, intensity and location of your pain. Next, your doctor will complete a detailed physical examination of your affected joints, looking for swelling, redness, warmth, tender points and skin rashes. Following the examination, your doctor may order X-rays to confirm a diagnosis of arthritis. An X-ray takes less than 15 minutes. X-rays may help confirm a diagnosis of arthritis and provide clues as to which type of the disease you may have. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, has distinct signs, including: A narrowing of the joint, bony spurs at the joint’s margin, and a one-sided distribution of joint irregularities. A hereditary form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, exhibits different X-ray signs. A person with this type of arthritis may experience a loss of bone calcium or joint irregularities on both sides of the body. Some doctors may bypass X-rays in favor of magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI. This procedure involves using a large magnet and radio waves to produce a clear picture of the body’s interior. An MRI is painless and usually lasts about an hour. In addition to these imaging techniques, blood tests can be helpful in diagnosing certain kinds of arthritis. For example, the majority of people with rheumatoid arthritis will have rheumatoid factor antibodies, or RF antibodies in their blood. Your rheumatologist may choose to determine the type of arthritis you have with a joint aspiration procedure if necessary. During a joint aspiration, a needle is inserted into the joint to withdraw a small amount of synovial, or joint, fluid. The synovial fluid in an osteoarthritis joint is usually clear, while a rheumatoid arthritis joint’s fluid will be cloudy. There is currently no cure for arthritis, so if you are diagnosed with it, your doctor will discuss various options for easing your pain and managing the disease. If you are experiencing pain, swelling or stiffness in any of your joints, make an appointment to see your physician. Doing so is the first step on the road to better health! For more on arthritis, check out my book, Arthritis RX.
Category:Body Aches & Pain/Arthritis
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