Patient Education: Arthritis
Diagnosis and Treatment of Arthritis
Diagnosing and treating arthritis is a team effort
between the patient and several types of health care professionals.
Arthritis can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages because
there is no single test for the disease. In addition, the symptoms
can be similar to other diseases and they may be difficult to notice
in the early stages. Therefore, it is extremely important that both
the patient and doctor be well informed and that they also participate
in the proper diagnosis and treatment methods chosen.
There are a few steps in diagnosing arthritis. The
first step is to review the patient’s medical history. The patient
will describe his or her symptoms, pain, and stiffness, and how
these conditions have changed over time. The doctor will then perform
a physical examination to test the patient’s joints, reflexes, and
muscle strength. Laboratory tests will be performed to see if there
are any specific antibodies are present and that the immune system
is fighting foreign substances in the body. Other tests may indicate
the presence of inflammation in the body, a white blood cell count,
and anemia. Finally, an X-ray can be used to determine the degree
of joint destruction. They may not be useful in the early stages
of arthritis before bone damage is evident.
Doctors use a variety of approaches to treat arthritis.
The treatment used will use a different combination of methods according
to the patient’s individual situation. No matter what treatment
the doctor and patient choose to do, the goals are very similar.
The purpose of treatment is to relieve pain, reduce inflammation,
slow down or end joint damage, and improve the person’s quality
of life and their ability to function. To do this, treatment may
include options such as change in lifestyle, medication, therapy,
and/or surgery.
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