How is joint pain diagnosed?
Dr. Matthew Lawless explains how joint pain is diagnosed. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.
A physician may diagnose joint pain by considering a patient’s medical history, risk factors and lifestyle, by conducting a physical examination, and blood and imaging tests, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians
.
According to the National Institutes of Health, some questions a doctor may ask a patient include:
- Did this pain begin suddenly and severely, or slowly and mildly?
- Have you injured your joint?
- Is the pain constant or does it come and go?
- Is there any numbness?
- What makes the stiffness better?
- What other symptoms do you have?
- What started the pain and how often have you had it?
- Which joint hurts?
For more information about diagnosing joint pain, talk to your doctor.
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