Which diagnostic test is used to determine cause of pain or swelling in a joint

Seeing a GP

A GP will do a physical examination, checking your joints for any swelling and to assess how easily they move. The GP will also ask you about your symptoms.

It's important to tell the GP about all your symptoms, not just ones you think are important, as this will help them make the correct diagnosis.

If the GP thinks you have rheumatoid arthritis, they'll refer you to a specialist (rheumatologist).

Blood tests

The GP may arrange blood tests to help confirm the diagnosis.

No blood test can definitively prove or rule out a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, but several tests can show indications of the condition.

Some of the main blood tests used include:

• erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) – which can help assess levels of inflammation in the body
• C-reactive protein (CRP) – another test that can help measure inflammation levels
• full blood count – this test can be used to help rule out other possible causes of your symptoms as well as provide an indicator your general health

The full blood count test can also be used to check if you have anaemia. Anaemia means the blood is unable to carry enough oxygen because of a lack of blood cells.

Anaemia is common in people with rheumatoid arthritis, although having anaemia does not prove you have rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies

One blood test measures levels of rheumatoid factors in the blood. Rheumatoid factors are proteins that the immune system produces when it attacks health tissue.

About half of all people with rheumatoid arthritis have high levels of rheumatoid factors in their blood when the disease starts, but about 1 in 20 people without rheumatoid arthritis also test positive.

A related blood test known as anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) test is also available. Anti-CCPs are antibodies also produced by the immune system.

People who test positive for anti-CCP are very likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, but not everybody with rheumatoid arthritis has this antibody.

Those who test positive for both rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP may be more likely to have severe rheumatoid arthritis requiring higher levels of treatment.

Joint scans

Scans may be done to check for joint inflammation and damage.

These can help tell the difference between types of arthritis and can be used to monitor how your condition is progressing over time.

Scans that may be done to diagnose and monitor rheumatoid arthritis include:

• X-rays
• MRI scans (where strong magnetic fields and radio waves are used to produce detailed images of your joints)

Assessing your physical ability

If you have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, your specialist will do an assessment to see how well you're coping with everyday tasks.

You may be asked to fill in a questionnaire on how well you can do things like dress, walk and eat, and how good your grip strength is.

Arthritis describes a group of conditions in which inflammation or disease affects one or more joints. Arthritis can affect any joint in the body but is most common in weight-bearing joints such as the spine, knee, and hip. Arthritis may involve one joint (monoarthritis) or more than one joints (oligoarthritis or polyarthritis).

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting approximately 54.4 million adults. This group of conditions can be related to several underlying causes, such as:

• Gradual wear and tear on the joints
• An autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks otherwise healthy cells
• An injury, such as a fracture or broken bone
• Infection, often with a virus or bacteria
• The buildup of crystals in and around the joint, including those formed of uric acid and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate

In patients with arthritis, a joint becomes inflamed, which leads to swelling, stiffness, and pain. If left untreated, inflammation can cause long term or permanent disability. There are over 100 different types of arthritis. The most common types of arthritis include:

• Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is the most commonly diagnosed form of arthritis. Frequently affecting the hips, knees, and hands, osteoarthritis develops when the cartilage within a joint starts to break down.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which a person’s immune system attacks healthy cells, causing inflammation, pain, and swelling in the affected joints or other organs.
• Gout: Gout is associated with excess uric acid in the body that forms needle-like crystals in affected joints, fluids, and other tissues. Episodes, called flares, of gout can start suddenly and may last for days or weeks.
• Ankylosing spondylitis: A chronic form of arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis mainly affects the spine, causing painful inflammation of the joints between the vertebrae and between the spine and pelvis. As the disease progresses, it can sometimes cause the bones in the spine to fuse together.
• Fibromyalgia: Fibromyalgia is a type of arthritis that is characterized by full-body pain and stiffness, fatigue, and other symptoms.
• Lupus: People with lupus experience symptom flares and periods without symptoms called remission. When symptoms occur, joint pain and swelling are common.
• Psoriatic Arthritis: This type of arthritis occurs in some people who have a skin condition called psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis is marked by painful, swollen, and stiff joints as well as other symptoms.

Other types of arthritis include juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a diverse condition that first appears in children younger than 16 years of age, septic arthritis, and reactive arthritis. Septic arthritis is caused by an infection in a joint, while reactive arthritis develops in response to an infection in another part of the body.

What is the diagnosis for joint pain?

Which of the following tests is used to diagnose joint conditions?

What tests are done to diagnose arthritis?

What blood tests are done for joint pain?