How is osteoarthritis diagnosed?

 

Q. How is osteoarthritis diagnosed?
A. No single test can diagnose osteoarthritis. When a person feels pain in his or her joints, it may or may not be osteoarthritis. The doctor will use a combination of tests to try to determine if osteoarthritis is causing the symptoms. These may include a medical history, a physical examination, x-rays, and laboratory tests. A patient's attitudes, daily activities, and levels of anxiety or depression have a lot to do with how much the symptoms of osteoarthritis affect day-to-day living.

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