When You Visit Your Doctor - Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

• How long have you had painful joints?
• Which joints are involved and which are most painful?
• Is the pain worse or better after walking or other exercise?
• Does the pain wake you at night?
• Does it occur at rest?
• Do you have swelling or deformities in any joints?
• What activities can you no longer do because of the arthritis?
• How long ago did you stop doing them?
• How far can you walk?
• Do you have difficulty opening jars or grasping objects?
• Do you have any other conditions, such as heart or lung disease, that also limit your ability to function?
• What have you done to treat your osteoarthritis?
• What therapies help the most?
• Do you use a cane (for osteoarthritis of the knee or hip)?
• What medications do you take (over-the-counter and prescription) to treat the pain?
• How effective are they?
• Do you know the side effects of each medication?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

• Joint examination
• Muscles
• Gait

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

• Blood tests if your symptoms are atypical for osteoarthritis
• X-rays of the involved joints
• CT scans of the involved joints
• MRI scans of the involved joints