Making the Diagnosis
If you have symptoms like those described above, see your doctor as soon as possible. An early diagnosis means faster treatment and less damage to your joints. Your doctor will first do a physical examination and ask about your medical history and signs and symptoms that may alert your doctor to the diagnosis.
Unfortunately, there are no tests that definitively confirm the diagnosis of RA. However, as in many diseases, a doctor can make a firm diagnosis based on carefully examining a person's medical history, performing a physical exam, and analyzing tests to see how the disease develops over time.
Laboratory tests can be helpful, but they can sometimes all turn up negative even with very active disease. Some tests your doctor may perform that are particularly helpful include those that test for the rheumatoid factor, CCP antibodies, and C-reactive protein.
X-rays are helpful to detect more advanced changes, and ultrasound and MRI are important to evaluate how the disease is progressing.