Osteoarthritis (Diagnosis)

Diagnosis

Many people confuse osteoarthritis with rheumatoid arthritis. But the treatments for them differ considerably, so it is important to know which type of arthritis you have. Your doctor is the best person to make an accurate diagnosis but you can help him or her by providing a clear description of your symptoms. The chart below shows the differences between these two common forms of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis	Rheumatoid arthritis
Usually begins after age 40	Usually begins between ages 25 and 50
Usually develops slowly, over several years	Often develops suddenly, within weeks or months
Often begins in joints on only one side of the body	Usually affects the same joint on both sides of the body (such as both feet)
Usually doesn't cause inflammation (redness, warmth, and swelling) in the joint	Causes inflammation in the joints
Affects only some joints; rarely affects the elbows or shoulders	Affects many joints, including the elbows and shoulders
Doesn't cause a general feeling of sickness	Often causes a general feeling of sickness, fatigue, weight loss, and fever

Osteoarthritis cannot necessarily be prevented, but the symptoms can be managed. Seeing a doctor at an early stage and beginning treatment can help slow the progress of the disorder and reduce the damage to your joints. In general, a diagnosis of arthritis is based on information you provide, your medical history, a physical examination, and special tests and/or X-rays. Each of these sources of information helps the doctor determine whether the problem is arthritis and, if so, which type of arthritis it is. In addition, each test and each piece of information helps the doctor rule out diseases other than arthritis.

If you have arthritis, an accurate diagnosis will ensure that you get appropriate treatment. Such treatment is more likely to be successful if you and your doctor work together as a team to manage the disease. The diagnostic examination is the first step in forming this doctor-patient partnership.

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