Arthritis Tests and Diagnosis

  • Arthritis
    Arthritis is often seen as a disease that affects the elderly but it can affect people of all ages. According to the Arthritis Foundation, two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65. And more people in their late 30s and 40s are now being diagnosed with the condition 
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 3 July 2015

The process of diagnosing arthritis involves several steps. The doctor will record your medical history and give you a physical examination. He/she may also recommend laboratory tests, imaging tests (such as x-rays), and other tests as required.

Laboratory and imaging tests are sometimes, but not always, needed to determine the cause of arthritis. These tests may include:

X-rays: To see a detailed picture of the bones. However, for many types of arthritis, changes in the joint are not visible on x-ray for months or even years. However, x-rays are often useful to monitor over time.

Joint tap: This procedure tests the fluid inside a joint, called the synovial fluid, to determine the cause of a person’s arthritis. After making the skin numb, a needle is inserted inside the joint and a sample of the fluid is withdrawn. Analysis of the joint fluid is particularly helpful in confirming whether the arthritis is inflammatory and in establishing a diagnosis of septic arthritis (due to bacterial infection) and gout.

Blood tests: Estimates of serum calcium and vitamin D.

If rheumatoid arthritis is suspected, it can be helpful to test the blood for auto-antibodies that are commonly present in these diseases. Examples include the rheumatoid factor (RF) for rheumatoid arthritis.

Other imaging tests: Ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computer aided tomography (CT scan) provide images of the tissues surrounding the joints. One or more of these imaging tests may be recommended to detect erosions (bone damage due to arthritis), fractures, calcium deposits or changes in the shape of a joint.

 

Community
Muscle, Bone and Joint (earlier named Arthritis)
Condition
Arthritis

Stories

  • My excitement about life lets me forget the pain
    It’s impossible to imagine that super-tough fitness instructor Neha was once immobile with rheumatoid arthritis. She shares her story – from pain to power.  Like many of us do, I have clear, early images of myself. I was never a fat girl, but I was definitely on the plumper side, one of the reasons I took to exercising young. At 15, I began an exercise regimen. Days turned to months and months to years. Eight years later, at 23, I got married. Exercising remained an …
  • Eat blueberries and strawberries three times per week
    A significant study links berry consumption with improved heart health. You can’t get the same benefit from a pill or supplement. The finding comes from a new study led by Dr. Eric Rimm, associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School. “The sooner people start the type of diet that includes a higher intake of blueberries and strawberries, the better,” Dr. Rimm says. “The people with heart benefits had three or more servings of a half a cup of…
  • Knee Meniscus fix likely using stem cell procedure
    Researchers report on a revolutionary new procedure that uses 3-D printing and the body’s stem cells to regenerate knee meniscus, a tissue lining that acts as a natural cushion between the femur and tibia. People with damaged menisci develop arthritis and are forced to limit their activity. The procedure, published online Dec. 10 in the journal Science Translational Medicine, has proved successful in sheep at Cornell University six months after surgery, though the researchers will monitor the…
  • Back on her feet after decades of struggle with Rheumatoid Arthritis
    For 48-year-old Sachi Pathak, life was never pain-free. A sports enthusiast, Sachi was always ahead in participating in all gymnastic activities in her school. One day while forming a pyramid (a gymnastic formation) she fell on her knees. Her knees became stiff and her movement became limited. She was rushed to the nearest hospital and over a series of diagnostic tests it was found that she suffered from rheumatoid arthritis.  In Sachi’s case, RA had affected both her knees and hip joints…
  • Cadila launches first cheaper copy of arthritis drug Humira
    Indian drugmaker Cadila Healthcare Ltd said on Tuesday it launched in India the first biosimilar version of the anti-inflammatory medicine adalimumab, the world's top-selling drug, at a fifth of its U.S. price. Adalimumab was approved globally in 2002 and has been the most preferred drug for patients suffering from auto immune disorders.  The drug's branded version is sold under the name Humira by U.S. firm AbbVie Inc, and costs $1,000 for a vial in the United States. Humira…
  • Excess weight and food allergies cause arthritis - True or False?
    Find out this and more from Dr Shital Raval  1. Can excess weight cause osteoarthritis? Recent medical opinion points to excess weight as a cause for osteoarthritis. It is also known that obesity makes the symptoms worse in patients with existing osteoarthritis. This is because obesity tends to decrease mobility and puts stress on the back, hips, knees and feet, all the body parts that are commonly affected by osteoarthritis. Over time this stress can cause the…
  • Antibiotic use in children linked to juvenile idiopathic arthritis or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
    In a new study recently presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, MA, researchers have linked antibiotic use in children to increased risk of juvenile idiopathic arthritis or juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. The researchers found that children exposed to antibacterial antibiotics - not antifungals or antivirals - were at higher risk of developing JIA than those who had not been exposed to these antibiotics. This risk was higher for children who had…
  • FDA Approves Generic Celebrex
    In June 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two generic versions of celecoxib (Celebrex). Developed by Pfizer, celexocib is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, as well as other conditions. Approval was granted to Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to market 50 mg celecoxib capsules, while Teva Pharmaceutical Industries received approval to market the drug in the following doses: 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, and 400 mg, according to a bulletin from the FDA. Teva was…
  • Inflammation
    Inflammation has been linked to a slew of diseases – from allergies to cancer, heart trouble, bowel problems and diabetes. What is it and how can we protect ourselves. - By paediatrician and family practitioner Dr Gita Mathai. What is inflammation? The word is derived from the Latin “inflammo” meaning ignite or set alight. It conjures up visions of fire, and it is the body’s response to an injury, like a broken bone, a scrape in the skin or an infection by an organism (…
  • Daily exercise may help suppress inflammation in rheumatic disease
    Exercise has been shown to transiently suppress inflammation in an animal model of rheumatic disease, bolstering evidence to support the theory that regular physical activity is beneficial for patients with the disease. “Exercise can be a very potent therapeutic intervention to control inflammatory diseases, but unfortunately today it is underutilized in clinical practice,” said study author Dr. Nicholas Young from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, US. “[In our…

Latest Stories

Booklet