Arthritis - What to Expect at a Doctor's Examination

After conducting the necessary physical examination, especially on joints like your knees, hips and legs, your doctor will require a detailed enumeration of your medical history for a more accurate diagnosis. You will be asked questions about:

• the first time you felt pain in your knee


• whether you've had previous knee pain, and why


• the length of time you've been experiencing pain


• whether the pain is constant or intermittent


• whether the pain affects one or both knees


• the precise area where pain is felt - above, below, at the sides, or on the knee itself


• the severity of the pain


• whether the knee feels tender and battered


• your ability to put weight on your knee or walk


• any history of injury or accident involving the affected joint


• whether the whole limb or just the knee has been used excessively


• your normal day-to-day activities and exercise regimen


• the home remedies you've used to treat the knee and whether they alleviated any of the symptoms


• other signs like hip, leg or calf pain, and swelling of the knee and its surrounding areas


• any incidence of fever

Your doctor may also order the following tests:

• extraction of a fluid sample from your knee for analysis


• knee x-rays


• MRI scan of the knee to determine any tears in the ligaments or meniscus

To counter pain symptoms, your doctor may prescribe NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that are more potent than over-the-counter painkillers. For more severe symptoms, injectible steroids can be administered to cut down pain and inflammation.

Other methods of treatment may involve sessions with a physical therapist for stretching and strengthening joint exercises, or visits to a podiatrist for orthotics fittings. These remedies can avert the recurrence of arthritis symptoms.

When the disease has progressed to a stage where there is extensive bone and cartilage damage and severe pain and inflammation, surgery may be necessary to replace the affected joint. While minor injuries involving ligaments strains and tears will heal naturally with self-nurturing home care or the use of supportive apparatus, substantial tears and fissures, like a torn meniscus will require arthroscopic knee surgery.

Ligament and meniscus-related conditions result in slow and painstaking recovery, often involving the use of crutches and prolonged physical therapy.