Can a blood test alone determine arthritis?
I have very painful flat feet and joint pains. I have been referred to a rheumatologist and having a blood test but what if nothing shows in the blood test? Is it possible that further tests are needed to find arthritis or similar illness?
well the rheumatologist is the expert. do you exercise?
Apart from blood tests X-rays and sometimes other imaging studies often are used to detect damage to the joints.
Not always. I have JRA, and it didn’t show up in blood tests for almost a year. It all depends on the person I guess. I also had xrays, bone scans, and went to multiple doctors specializing in arthritis. None of the tests showed arthritis and none of the doctors could figure it out. One doctor found it.