Health Tip: Diagnosing Joint Pain

Information you should discuss with your doctor

July 7, 2009 RSS Feed Print

(HealthDay News) -- Joint pain has many possible causes, ranging from injury to arthritis.

To help your doctor diagnose a cause, it's important to fully discuss the details of your condition.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers this checklist:

  • Which joint hurts, and which parts of the body are affected.
  • If the pain just began, and whether you've felt it before.
  • If the pain started severely or slowly, and if it is persistent or fluctuates.
  • Any recent injuries, fevers or illnesses.
  • What makes the pain feel better, and what makes it feel worse.
  • Any other symptoms, including numbness or stiffness.
  • Times of day that the pain is better, and times that it feels worse.

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Tags:
pain management,
arthritis

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