BROWSE ALLERGY TESTING SUBCATEGORIES

Diagnosing arthritis typically involves evaluating signs and symptoms such as joint swelling, pain, and inflammation, as there is no single laboratory test that can definitively diagnose the condition. To assist in confirming the diagnosis and monitoring disease progression, healthcare providers may use various tests, including blood work and imaging studies.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, inflammatory form of arthritis belonging to the spondyloarthritis family. It primarily affects the spine and sacroiliac joints, often beginning in adolescence or early adulthood. Symptoms may include inflammatory back pain, morning stiffness, and decreased spinal flexibility. Some individuals also experience enthesitis (inflammation where tendons or ligaments attach to bone), uveitis (eye inflammation), or symptoms related to psoriasis and inflammatory b

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis—now commonly called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)—is a group of autoimmune conditions that cause persistent joint inflammation in children and teens. Symptoms can include swollen, stiff, or painful joints; morning stiffness; and fatigue. Some subtypes involve fevers and rash (systemic JIA), eye inflammation (uveitis), or tendon/ligament pain (enthesitis). Because signs can mimic infection, injury, or other autoimmune diseases, blood testing helps build the di

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. It’s a degenerative joint disease where cartilage gradually wears down, leading to pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced mobility—most often in the knees, hips, hands, and spine. Symptoms usually worsen with activity and improve with rest. Risk factors include age, prior joint injury, repetitive overuse, excess body weight, and family history. Blood tests do not diagnose OA directly, but they are valuable to rule out inflammatory and au

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune arthritis in which the immune system attacks the lining of the joints, causing inflammation, pain, swelling, and stiffness. It often starts in the small joints of the hands and feet and can lead to progressive joint damage without early detection and monitoring. Because other conditions can look similar, rheumatoid arthritis blood tests are key to supporting diagnosis, understanding disease activity, and tracking flares over time.