“How is rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed?”
How can a rheumatologist tell if my pain is actually rheumatoid arthritis or a regular muscular pain? I am only asking because it runs in my family and I have been experiencing stiff knee pain for the last year or so... but I'm only 35. Thank you.
5 Answers
One of the most underrated aspects of what a rheumatologist does is to take a history, and to do physical examination. The rheumatologist will thoughtfully listen to your signs and symptoms and concerns, and will ask additional questions to help get to the bottom of the matter. likewise, the rheumatologist will skillfullyand carefully order tests that will help determine the cause of your signs and symptoms in an error where medical care is being pressured to be too fast and too quick, trust your rheumatologist to take his or her time to help you Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
Good morning,
A rheumatologist evaluated patients by taking a detailed history, performing a systematic physical exam, and pursuing blood test and imaging that may be appropriate to determine the cause of joint or muscle pain. Blood tests are certainly helpful but it is the clinical features that often provides important clues that leads to an accurate diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis is essential to determine the treatments that may or may not be useful in a certain clinical scenario. If there is suspicion for an underlying joint problem it is always useful to seek the opinion of a rheumatologist whom may be able to delineate the diagnosis and implement relevant treatments as needed.
I hope this helps.
Mishal Abdullah.
A rheumatologist evaluated patients by taking a detailed history, performing a systematic physical exam, and pursuing blood test and imaging that may be appropriate to determine the cause of joint or muscle pain. Blood tests are certainly helpful but it is the clinical features that often provides important clues that leads to an accurate diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis is essential to determine the treatments that may or may not be useful in a certain clinical scenario. If there is suspicion for an underlying joint problem it is always useful to seek the opinion of a rheumatologist whom may be able to delineate the diagnosis and implement relevant treatments as needed.
I hope this helps.
Mishal Abdullah.
Blood tests combined with a history and physical exam can usually confirm a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
Great question! Historically, a key blood test to determine whether a person has rheumatoid arthritis checked for the presence of rheumatoid factor (RF): antibodies produced by the immune system that can attack healthy joints and tissues. More recently, an additional antibody called the anti-cyclic citrillunated protein (ACPA) has been considered a marker. But now, the presence of RF or ACPA is no longer considered necessary for a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. When RF and ACPA are negative, but a person has symptoms similar to those of rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative arthritis can be diagnosed. People who have either RF or ACPA antibodies have seropositive RA. In either case, I would advise you to follow up with a rheumatologist for further evaluation as there can be many different causes for your symptoms and it should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
Usually, with several years of fellowship training, the rheumatologist can tell if a joint is swollen. Muscle pains are usually different.
