Imaging Tests For Psoriatic Arthritis
Imaging tests can help your doctor closely examine your bones and joints. Some of the imaging tests your doctor may use include:
- X rays. X-rays arent always useful in diagnosing early stage psoriatic arthritis. As the disease progresses, your doctor may use imaging tests to see changes in the joints that are characteristic of this type of arthritis.
- MRI scans. An MRI alone cant diagnose psoriatic arthritis, but it may help detect problems with your tendons and ligaments, or sacroiliac joints.
- CT scans. These are used primarily to examine joints that are deep in the body and not easily seen on x-rays, such as in the spine and pelvis.
- Ultrasounds. These tests can help determine the progression of joint involvement and pinpoint the location.
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How The Disease And Disease Remission Are Confirmed
Rheumatoid arthritis is a difficult disease for doctors to diagnose, especially in its early stages, because the signs and symptoms are similar to those of many other conditions. So far, doctors don’t have a single test that definitively diagnoses RA, so they rely a physical exam, family medical history, several blood tests, and imaging such as X-rays.
Rheumatoid arthritis differs from osteoarthritis in that it is an autoimmune disorder. That means the immune system mistakenly attacks its own cells and tissues, primarily, in RA, the cells and tissues of the joints.
Most autoimmune diseases are hard to diagnose, but getting it right is important because it helps determine the appropriate course of treatment.
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Making A Diagnosis Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Diagnosis of RA is not straight forward as there is no individual test for RA. A diagnosis tends to be made by a consultant rheumatologist on the basis of tests, examination and ruling out other possible causes for symptoms.
Sometimes it is clear from symptoms and initial blood tests that someone has rheumatoid arthritis, but not always. Specialist criteria have been developed jointly by American and European experts to try to help make a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in people presenting with new-onset swollen, painful joints with no obvious cause . These should be used with care though as people with osteoarthritis or a crystal arthritis could meet the criteria and end up being incorrectly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which could have significant consequences for treatment. They have also been developed to classify, not diagnose, rheumatoid arthritis and so should not be used to decide who gets referred.
As already mentioned above, there are a number of other conditions that can cause very similar symptoms to rheumatoid arthritis and your GP will have to consider these when assessing each case.
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What Blood Tests Indicate Psoriatic Arthritis
There is no single blood test that can confirm a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis however, your doctor may order the following laboratory tests to rule out other joint conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and osteoarthritis. Some of these tests are also used to monitor your response to psoriatic arthritis treatment.
Your hemoglobin levels and number of red blood cells may decrease if you have psoriatic arthritis.
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The Diagnostic Criteria For Rheumatoid Arthritis
The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis cant be established with just one test. Instead, rheumatologists rely on a combination of your medical history, a physical exam, laboratory tests, and sometimes imaging tests to pinpoint the disease.
They also try to rule out the possibility of other conditions that may resemble RA, such as lupus, psoriatic arthritis, gout, or osteoarthritis. This is called a differential diagnosis.
To begin the diagnostic process, a rheumatologist will take your medical history, which includes asking questions about your current symptoms particularly pain, swelling, and stiffness and their location, duration, and severity.
Theyll also ask about your familys medical history as it pertains to RA and other autoimmune conditions. Conditions like RA can be more common in families with RA or other immune system-related health problems. For example, research recently published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research found that people who have a first-degree relative with RA are more than twice as likely as the general population to develop RA. A family history of lupus, scleroderma, thyroid disease, or inflammatory bowel disease also substantially increased the risk of RA.
Your rheumatologist will also perform a physical examination, testing each of your joints for things like swelling, tenderness, and limited range of motion. The location of affected joints is important to diagnosis.
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Reaching A Ra Diagnosis
Once all of these steps have been conducted, doctors will look at all of the test results and reach a conclusion based on the overall picture. Some doctors take a more symptom based approach to diagnosing RA while others rely on blood tests and medical history to confirm a RA diagnosis.
This is why its possible to be diagnosed with RA but not test positive for antibodies or have a medical history of RA in your family. If the symptoms themselves are consistent with RA, then it can still be diagnosed.
That being said, the main criteria for diagnosing RA do not change. The patient must exhibit symptoms for greater than six weeks, symmetrical symptoms, as well as multiple joints being affected including fingers and hands.
Do I Have Shoulder Bursitis
Shoulder bursitis symptoms are typically worse at night after a long day of activity, or in the morning when the shoulder has been still for a long period of time. The most common area for shoulder bursitis is the subacromial bursa. Inflammation in this area causes pain when the arms lift overhead.
Other shoulder bursitis symptoms include:
- Range of motion that is restricted by pain
- Swelling and redness in and around the shoulder joint
- Pain at the tip of the shoulder
- Pain upon contact
In severe cases, pain may be accompanied by fever, which may indicate an infection of the bursa. Infection can become serious and should be treated urgently.
Your doctor will start your shoulder bursitis diagnosis by asking about your medical history and conducting a physical exam. Your doctor will test your range of motion and feel for swelling or warmth that indicates inflammation in the joint.
If, other than pain, there are no other physical symptoms, your doctor may recommend imaging to rule out other causes. X-rays cannot detect inflamed bursa but can verify that there is no damage in the bones. MRIs can see soft and connective tissue and may be able to help with a diagnosis.
In cases where they suspect an infection, your doctor may order blood tests to look for elevated white blood cells that indicate an immune response to infection. If there is fluid on the shoulder, this fluid can also be analyzed to confirm a diagnosis .
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Other Conditions Associated With Seronegative Patients
A seronegative result along with what are thought to be rheumatoid arthritis symptoms could potentially indicate other conditions altogether. Often times when inflammation is present or consistent it means that the seronegative patient may have osteoarthritis instead of rheumatoid arthritis. This is a common confusion.
Spondyloarthritis conditions are sometimes associated with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis because they are inflammatory. These are conditions like ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, as well as psoriatic arthritis.
Psoriatic Arthritis Tests And Diagnosis
The diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis is largely based on your medical history and a physical exam, and laboratory tests may be used to rule out other conditions. During an appointment, your doctor will likely ask you questions about specific skin and joint symptoms and your overall well-being.
Psoriatic arthritis can damage joints over time if not controlled, so the earlier you receive a diagnosis and appropriate treatment, the better. If youre currently seeing a dermatologist for psoriasis, and you are experiencing joint pain, tell your doctor. They may refer you to a rheumatologist. If any of these symptoms seem familiar, talk to your doctor.
About 1 in 3 people with psoriasis may develop PsA.
What to expect when getting diagnosed with PsA
Medical history:
At your doctor appointment, be prepared to answer questions regarding your medical history as accurately as possible. Some of the questions your doctor may ask you will likely include the following:
- Which joints hurt?
- Joints at the ends of fingers and toes
Physical exam:
During a physical exam, your doctor will look for several symptoms that are commonly associated with psoriatic arthritis:
- Tender, painful, or swollen joints
- Pain in your feet, ankles, and lower back
- An indication of psoriasis
- Enthesitis
Laboratory tests and imaging procedures:
Your doctor may order tests and procedures to help rule out other diseases or confirm your diagnosis. Some of these tests may include:
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Imaging Testing Used In Rheumatoid Arthritis Prognosis
All three imaging tests can be used to monitor progression over the disease course. However, it is difficult for doctors to deliver a firm prognosis for RA as the disease manifests itself uniquely in each patient.
Beyond using x-rays and other RA imaging tests to assess bone erosion levels, doctors cannot conclusively determine if deterioration will worsen or slow down other than what the image tests reveal at the time.
Caspar Criteria For Diagnosis
Diagnosing psoriatic arthritis relies on markers in an established system called the Classification Criteria for Psoriatic Arthritis .
The criteria are each assigned a point value. Each one has a value of 1 point except for current psoriasis, which has a value of 2 points.
The criteria are as follows:
- current psoriasis outbreak
- personal or family history of psoriasis
- swollen fingers or toes, known as dactylitis
- nail problems, like separation from the nail bed
- bone growths near a joint that are visible on an X-ray
- absence of rheumatoid factor
A person must have at least 3 points based on the CASPAR criteria to be diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.
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How Exercise Helps Shoulder Arthritis
Your shoulder is made to move in fact, it has the most motion of any joint in the body. Whats common to all types of shoulder arthritis is the potential of losing range of motion, says Nancy Yen Shipley, MD, board-certified orthopedic surgeon in Portland, Oregon.
And that is reason number one to exercise. The shoulder joint can get stiff and weak. If you keep it still, it stiffens more, she explains. Gentle stretching exercises can help maintain range of motion in your shoulder.
Strengthening exercises are important as well: Keeping the muscles in and around the shoulder strong can give the joint more stability, adds Dr. Yen Shipley, who is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
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Can Psoriatic Arthritis Attack Other Organs Of The Body
Apart from the skin, nails and joints, increased cardiovascular morbidity is considered part of psoriatic disease, as is the association with inflammatory bowel disease. An itchy, red eye due to conjunctivitis is more common in people with psoriatic arthritis and some people occasionally develop a painful, red eye caused by inflammation around the pupil of the eye, which is called iritis or uveitis. Anaemia may also be found but this is the result of long-term inflammation and is not a specific feature of psoriatic arthritis.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Blood Tests
The rheumatoid arthritis blood tests that doctors perform to help diagnose the disease include:
- Rheumatoid factor
- C-Reactive Protein
- Antinuclear Antibody
None of these tests can singularly conclude that a patient has rheumatoid arthritis. Rather, doctors look at the combined results from all, alongside a number of other criteria including physical symptoms and genetics, in order to reach a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis.
Differences Between Rheumatoid Arthritis And Lupus
Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are both autoimmune diseases that attack your body in a similar fashion. In autoimmune diseases, your immune system is unable to distinguish between certain healthy tissues and dangerous pathogens, like viruses or bacteria. It begins to attack, creating autoantibodies that damage your organs and tissues.
The specific parts of the body the immune system attacks are determined by what disease you have. While RA and lupus are similar, their differences are important when it comes to how you’re diagnosed and treated.
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Physical Exam For Diagnosing Psoriatic Arthritis
The next step in diagnosing psoriatic arthritis is a thorough physical exam, which can involve a number of steps, including the following:
- Looking for signs of psoriasis in usual spots such as elbows and knees, as well as less visible places including the scalp, belly button, intergluteal cleft , palms of hands, and soles of feet
- Checking the nails of fingers and toes for abnormalities
- Applying pressure to joints for tenderness and swelling, as well as looking for redness
- Checking for tendon and ligament issues, including plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis
- Checking for back mobility
- Checking for pain and inflammation along the sacroiliac joints, which is where the spine connects with your pelvis
How Is Osteoarthritis In The Shoulder Diagnosed And When
The shoulders three bones and many tendons and muscles make the shoulder the most mobile joint in the body. But this combination of structures also makes the shoulder vulnerable to problems.
Five major types of arthritis commonly affect the shoulder: osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis , rheumatoid arthritis , avascular necrosis and rotator cuff tear arthropathy. Other common shoulder conditions include bursitis, tendonitis, frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injury.
All of these conditions can produce shoulder pain, but vary in their underlying causes. Because the conditions show similar symptoms, its difficult for a person to know what problem is causing their shoulder pain without a physicians help.
A physical exam and X-ray can help diagnose the problem.
- During the physical exam, a doctor examines the shoulder joint for range of motion, involvement of other joints and tenderness. The exam also includes questions about personal and family medical history.
- X-rays are used to look for a narrowing joint space and damage related to the bones in the shoulder joint, as well as for the formation of bone spurs, which indicate arthritis.
- Other diagnostic tests may be used to rule out causes of joint pain. Blood tests and analysis of joint fluid can rule out rheumatoid arthritis or infection.
- An MRI may also be needed to gauge the condition of the rotator cuff .
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Imaging Studies For Diagnosing Psoriatic Arthritis
In addition to laboratory tests, imaging studies can help your rheumatologist see whether the appearance of your bones and tissues suggests you could have PsA or another condition. Depending on your case and circumstances, your doctor may order one or more of the following tests:
X-ray: A radiograph image of your affected joints as well as your spine if that appears to be affected will help your doctor see marginal bone erosions, which means bone being eaten away where it meets a ligament or tendon. This would suggest PsA. Ankylosis may also be seen in very severe PsA. But a negative X-ray may simply mean the PsA is in an early stage, so additional imaging could be needed.
Ultrasound: A sonogram of the affected joints can help your doctor see disease activity and damage in tendons and ligaments. In cases of psoriatic arthritis, your doctor may see inflammation of tendons and joints or erosions where bone has been eaten away by immune cells.
MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging can be especially helpful in allowing your doctor to investigate back pain you might have associated with PsA.
Chances are, if youre seeing a rheumatologist because you have concerns about having psoriatic arthritis, youve already seen quite a few different doctors or health care providers by now. We know this process can be exhausting and exasperating. We are here for you to help make things easier.
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What Types Of Shoulder Arthritis Exercises Work The Best
Doctors recommend shoulder exercises and warm-up stretches as a way to help with arthritis of this type. Why? Because it works! With that said, its important to know the proper shoulder exercises to do in order to have beneficial results and not worsen your arthritis of the shoulder or cause other medical issues from improper stretching and exercise.
Exercises For Shoulder Pain Relief & Rehab. Image By Dr. Kristina Dematas / Sportydoctor
Some of the shoulder exercises for pain can be completed in the comfort of your own home while others will require some assistance from a specialist. Shoulder arthritis exercise options and tips to relieve shoulder pain include the following:
- Rehabilitation exercises
- Yoga
Exercise for Shoulder Arthritis. Image By Dr. Kristina Dematas / Sportydoctor
Prior to completing shoulder arthritis exercises, its important to consult with a medical health professional to know which exercise is best for your particular arthritis of the shoulder.
You want to be careful not to overdo it in the exercise department as doing more than you are able or more than your shoulder can take will not help you but could hurt you. Care has to be taken as how far to push the range of motion exercises, especially if mobility is limited due to space narrowing or bone spurs.
Image By Dr. Kristina Dematas / Sportydoctor
If you know others who suffer from osteoarthritis of the shoulder, you can even share your newly-found exercises with them.
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