Joint Pain Diagnosis & causes 

Diagnosis involves interviewing the patient & performing physical exams. When attempting to establish the cause of the arthralgia, the emphasis is on the interview. The patient is asked questions intended to narrow the number of potential causes. Given the varied nature of these possible causes, some questions might seem irrelevant. For example, the patient might be asked about dry mouth, light sensitivity, rashes or a history of seizures. Answering yes or no to any of these questions limits the number of possible causes & guides the doctor toward the appropriate exams & lab tests.

The causes of arthralgia are varied & range, from a joints perspective, from degenerative & destructive processes such as osteoarthritis & sports injuries to inflammation of tissues surrounding the joints, such as bursitis. These might be triggered by other things, such as infections or vaccinations.