English
Consulting a doctor
Why consult a doctor
If some of your joints are painful, stiff or swollen for more than 8 to 10 days, it is important to consult your doctor.
Why?
Effectively, consulting your doctor will reassure you about the potential cause of your suffering or difficulty. Your doctor will determine whether you are suffering from osteoarthritis or from pathology.
He or she will also guide you in your treatment and ways to improve your everyday life. If you have osteoarthritis, your doctor will be able to make a diagnosis by assessing your medical history and carrying out a physical examination. Sometimes he or she will request some tests to help confirm the diagnosis, determine the presence or absence of joint lesions or even make a distinction between various forms of arthritis. These tests are notably x-rays, blood tests and joint fluid analysis.
While at the present time there is no treatment that can completely cure osteoarthritis, the treatment can do a lot in reducing pain and joint stiffness and facilitating movement. You will thus be able to enjoy a more active life. However, it is also essential that you play your part in following the treatment prescribed by your doctor.
Why?
- To establish a diagnosis
- To get a treatment as quickly as possible to relieve your pain with an aim to improving your difficulty with movement.
Effectively, consulting your doctor will reassure you about the potential cause of your suffering or difficulty. Your doctor will determine whether you are suffering from osteoarthritis or from pathology.
He or she will also guide you in your treatment and ways to improve your everyday life. If you have osteoarthritis, your doctor will be able to make a diagnosis by assessing your medical history and carrying out a physical examination. Sometimes he or she will request some tests to help confirm the diagnosis, determine the presence or absence of joint lesions or even make a distinction between various forms of arthritis. These tests are notably x-rays, blood tests and joint fluid analysis.
While at the present time there is no treatment that can completely cure osteoarthritis, the treatment can do a lot in reducing pain and joint stiffness and facilitating movement. You will thus be able to enjoy a more active life. However, it is also essential that you play your part in following the treatment prescribed by your doctor.
Who should you consult?
Your family doctor, general practitioner knows you and is the best placed for organising your treatment. Indeed, a GP looks at patients in their entirety and the condition they are suffering from as a result of physiological, human and environmental factors. Thus he or she has a privileged relationship with each patient.
In addition, if necessary, he or she can guide you towards seeing a specialist (Rheumatologist, Radiologist, Physiotherapist, etc), or/and prescribe complementary examinations to confirm the diagnosis, drain a joint effusion and ensure you get a suitable treatment.
The rheumatologist, by his or her training and knowledge, is the specialist for pain and diseases of the bones, joints, muscles and tendons. He or she is the privileged partner, as are the other specialists, of your GP. Your doctor will guide you towards a rheumatologist if need be.
In addition, if necessary, he or she can guide you towards seeing a specialist (Rheumatologist, Radiologist, Physiotherapist, etc), or/and prescribe complementary examinations to confirm the diagnosis, drain a joint effusion and ensure you get a suitable treatment.
The rheumatologist, by his or her training and knowledge, is the specialist for pain and diseases of the bones, joints, muscles and tendons. He or she is the privileged partner, as are the other specialists, of your GP. Your doctor will guide you towards a rheumatologist if need be.
