Arthritis – Diagnosis

Transcript

A good history and physical examination by your primary care doctor is the initial step in finding the cause of the arthritis. Your doctors can order blood tests and x-rays. Some such blood test includes sedimentation rate, also called ESR, and C reactive protein. These are general markers of inflammation. If the ESR and the CRP are elevated, this suggests your joint pain is due to inflammation. X-rays help identify any joint damage is present, but the most important tool to make the diagnosis is your doctor’s clinical examination.