Early diagnosis of RA means early treatment which can increase the likelihood of leading an active life and decrease the likelihood of experiencing joint damage that leads to joint replacement. But there is no single test to diagnose RA with certainty.

For this reason, your doctor will likely perform a thorough physical exam and ask you extensive questions about your symptoms and medical history. To confirm a diagnosis, your doctor may also use a number of diagnostic tests including:

• Blood tests to detect:
• Anemia, a deficiency of red blood cells
• Rheumatoid factor, an antibody often found in the blood of people with RA
• Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (sed rate), an indicator of inflammatory process in the body and also an indicator of the severity of the disease
• C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is an additional test used to assess inflammation in the body. In some cases the sed rate will not be elevated but the CRP will be or vice versa
• X-rays to detect joint damage and to see if the disease is progressing

If you or your primary care physician suspect that you have RA, it’s important to make an appointment with a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating inflammatory diseases such as RA.