Before you go, consider how you’d answer certain questions he or she may ask. Your specialist should also ask questions about your medical and health history (pdf). Of course, you should be as thorough as possible when answering.

1) Where is your pain located? Does more than one joint hurt?

2) When did the pain first begin? What caused it (if known)?

3) Rank your pain on a scale of 1 to 5

4) Has the pain gotten worse recently? If so, is it more severe, does it occur more often, or both?

5) Does your pain get worse, or occur more often, when you do weight-bearing activities (Example: walking), at rest, or at night?

6) Are you taking any medication for the pain? (Make a list of both prescription and non-prescription medications.)

7) Are you taking any dietary supplements? (Make a list of vitamins or other “pills” for arthritis, such as chondroitin or glucosamine.)

8) How far can you walk without support? With support?

9) Can you climb stairs comfortably without help? Do you need to go very slowly and carefully?

10) How physically active are you?

11) What tests have previously been done to evaluate your joint pain?