Osteoarthritis
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Pain and Stiffness in Joints
Different types of arthritis have different symptoms. In general, people with most forms of arthritis have pain and stiffness in their joints.
Osteoarthritis usually develops slowly and can occur in any joint, but often occurs in weight bearing joints. Early in the disease, joints may ache after physical work or exercise. Most often, osteoarthritis occurs in the hands, hips, knees, neck, or low back.
Common Signs
Common signs of osteoarthritis include
- joint pain, swelling, and tenderness
- stiffness after getting out of bed
- a crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone.
Not everyone with osteoarthritis feels pain, however. In fact, only a third of people with x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis report pain or other symptoms. In fact, only a third of people with x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis report pain or other symptoms.
Diagnosis
To make a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, most doctors use a combination of methods and tests including a medical history, a physical examination, x-rays, and laboratory tests.
- A medical history is the patient's description of symptoms and when and how they began. The description covers pain, stiffness, and joint function, and how these have changed over time.
- A physical examination includes the doctor's examination of the joints, skin, reflexes, and muscle strength. The doctor observes the patient's ability to walk, bend, and carry out activities of daily living.
- X-rays are limited in their capacity to reveal how much joint damage may have occurred in osteoarthritis. X-rays usually don't show osteoarthritis damage until there has been a significant loss of cartilage.
Questions Your Doctor May Ask
It is important for people with joint pain to give the doctor a complete medical history. Answering these questions will help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis:
- Is the pain in one or more joints?
- When does the pain occur and how long does it last?
- When did you first notice the pain?
- Does activity make the pain better or worse?
- Have you had any illnesses or accidents that may account for the pain?
- Is there a family history of any arthritis or rheumatic diseases?
- What medicines are you taking?
- A medical history is the patient's description of symptoms and when and how they began. The description covers pain, stiffness, and joint function, and how these have changed over time.
- A physical examination includes the doctor's examination of the joints, skin, reflexes, and muscle strength. The doctor observes the patient's ability to walk, bend, and carry out activities of daily living.
A patient's attitudes, daily activities, and levels of anxiety or depression have a lot to do with how severe the symptoms of osteoarthritis may be.
