Your doctor will diagnose you but you can help understand your pain better by filling out the self-assessment questions below.
After you have filled out the self-assessment, you will have the possibility to save the assessment, or print the document to take it to your doctor.
OA Self-assessment
If any of the above statements apply to you, you should see a doctor to get diagnosed.
If OA is detected early – or at least earlier – then patients can get treatment sooner and treatment progress could be better monitored, potentially leading to better outcomes.5
Causes of OA
OA usually develops slowly and gets progressively worse over time. It’s commonly observed when people are middle-aged and older. But you can develop it at any age, following a joint injury or another disorder.
There are certain factors that increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis (OA):
- Age: The older you get, the higher your risk
- Weight: Increased body weight increases your risk 3
- Injury or overuse: Athletes and people with active jobs are at higher risk
- Genetics: Recent research suggests that knee OA is partially caused by your genes 4
- Muscle weakness: Weakness in the muscles increases your risk
- Other diseases: Rheumatoid arthritis, hemochromatosis (having too much iron), and acromegaly (excessive growth hormone) increase your risk
