Early treatment may also significantly improve a patient’s quality of life and reduce the risk of long-term disability.
Read on to learn more about rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis.
Fatigue is also common in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
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These medical providers employ various diagnostic tools to confirm the presence of the disease and exclude alternative conditions.
Medical History
Your provider will likely start by asking about your medical history.
How Old Are People When Diagnosed With RA?
Artificial joints may also help restore function in joints damaged by rheumatoid arthritis.
Take notes at your appointments, and check that you write down questions and symptoms you experience between appointments.
Rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed through clinical evaluation, medical history, and various laboratory and imaging tests.
Early diagnosis is essential for effective rheumatoid arthritis management and improving the patient’s overall quality of life.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Rheumatoid arthritis: Diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take.
Open 2015;1:e000057.
doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2015-000057
Arthritis Foundation.Rheumatoid arthritis: Causes, symptoms, treatments and more.
American College of Rheumatology.Rheumatologist.
Medline Plus.Complete blood count (CBC).
Medline Plus.Rheumatoid Factor (RF) Test.
Medline Plus.C-reactive protein (CRP) test.
Radiol med 124, 11281141 (2019).
doi.org/10.1007/s11547-019-01014-y
Medline Plus.Bone scan.
Medline Plus.Bone density scan.
Albuquerque, C.P., Reis, A.P.M.G., Vargas Santos, A.B.
et al.Do it fast!
Early access to specialized care improved long-term outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis: Data from the REAL multicenter observational study.
Adv Rheumatol 63, 17 (2023).
American Medical Association.What doctors wish patients know about rheumatoid arthritis.
World Health Organization.Rheumatoid arthritis.
American College of Rheumatology.Just diagnosed: Now what?
