Diagnosing Arthritis: Prepare for Your First Doctor's Appointment

Arthritis For Dummies

If you think you have arthritis, get the best chance for help by being fully prepared for your first doctor's appointment. Diagnosing arthritis — or any other medical condition — is easier if your doctor has your full medical history, including:

Any accidents or injuries that you've sustained
Diseases that run in your family
Illnesses you've had (especially recently)
Other problems, including recent weight loss, depression, sleep disturbances, aches and pain, skin changes, and fatigue

Before your talk to a doctor about arthritis, you should also consider compiling a list of questions you want answered. That list may include some of these:

How did you determine that I have this particular kind of arthritis?
What's causing my arthritis?
What kinds of treatment do you recommend?
What outcome can I expect?
Will I need surgery? If so, how long can I wait before I have it?
What will happen if I do nothing?
What will my treatment cost?

About This Article

About the book author:

Barry Fox, PhD, is a best-selling writer who has authored or co-authored 20 health books and over 160 health-related articles. His works include the New York Times #1 bestseller, The Arthritis Cure, and many more.

Nadine Taylor is a registered dietitian and contributing editor to the bestseller The Arthritis Cure. She is also author of Green Tea: The Natural Secret to a Healthier Life.

Jinoos Yazdany, MD, MPH, is a board-certified internist and a Rheumatology Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. She completed her undergraduate education at Stanford University, where she received the Deans’ Award for Academic Achievement and graduated with Honors and Distinction. She completed medical school at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received a Humanism in Medicine award from the Health Care Foundation of New Jersey and graduated Alpha Omega Alpha. Dr. Yazdany also studied public health at Harvard University. Her research involves examining health disparities in the care of patients with chronic diseases. This is her first book.