Your medical history, physical examination, and imaging studies help diagnose osteoarthritis.
During the physical exam, your healthcare provider will check for joint swelling and range of motion.
Imaging studies (X-rays) look for joint abnormalities andloss of cartilage.
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Intake and Examination
Two of the best diagnostic tools a healthcare provider has are her ears.
Your healthcare provider may ask:
Be prepared in advance.
Write down or record the information to bring with you so you won’t leave out important clues.
Past surgeries and injuries, including any recent injuries, are important to discuss during your examination.
She will also do a full general exam to assess your heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.
When your practitioner repeats the physical examination on follow-up visits, changes for better or worse will be evident.
Labs and Tests
Routine laboratory tests are sometimes performed to rule out systemic diseases.
This test is performed in a physician’s office using aseptic precautions.
Your healthcare provider may give you a local anesthetic to help numb the area first.
A needle is used to draw synovial fluid from your joint.
This synovial fluid is sent for a cell count, bacterial culture, and crystal deposition.
Although it sounds unnerving, the process itself is fairly quick, and the procedure only mildly painful.
Imaging
X-raysare typically used to confirm the diagnosis of osteoarthritis.
Subchondral bone is the layer of bone that is just below thecartilage.
MRI scans show cartilage, bone, and ligaments.
MRIs can also be used to rule out osteoarthritis or diagnose other types of arthritis.
Don’t be afraid to ask your healthcare provider why he or she is ordering an MRI.
It’s important to have an active voice in the decisions being made about your health care.
Diagnostic Criteria
Your healthcare provider will use all of this information to come to a diagnosis.
Differential Diagnoses
Part of this process is differentiating osteoarthritis from other types of arthritis.
In the majority of cases, though, diagnosing osteoarthritis is fairly straightforward.
A Word From Verywell
Osteoarthritis is an extremely common cause of joint pain.
It is generally a straightforward diagnosis that your healthcare provider will make in their office without further testing.
Start with your primary care provider.
Most doctors can diagnose and treat mild cases of OA.
Anorthopedistalso may be involved in your care, as they will perform treatments such assteroid injections.
This is because thecartilagethat would normally form a cushion between the bones is disintegrating or has worn away completely.
No, but sometimes a healthcare provider will perform certain blood tests to make it rule out OA.
Most such tests are used to differentiate osteoarthritis from rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
A person withRAwill test positive for or have elevated levels of these in their blood.
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