Joint aspiration or arthrocentesis is a procedure to remove additional fluid from your joint with the help of a needle. After aspiration of the fluid, your doctor may also some medications into the joint to ease inflammation and pain. 

What Causes Joint Pain? 

You may have joint pain due to: 

• Arthritis. 

• Gout. 

• Rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. 

• Bacterial infection. 

• Tendonitis or bursitis. 

How Does Joint Aspiration Help with Joint Pain? 

Fluid buildup in joints puts extra pressure on the joints. This additional pressure can lead to swelling and pain which may also restrict your movement. Your doctor will relieve you from this pain by draining the fluid as well as sending the sample to a lab. Tests will evaluate the cause of fluid buildup and the course of action. 

Your doctor may conduct this on hips, knees, ankles, feet, elbows, shoulders, wrists, and hands. 

What Happens During Joint Aspiration? 

During the procedure, your doctor will: 

• Give you an anaesthetic. 

• Insert a thin needle into the joint. 

• Attach an empty syringe to the needle to extract fluid from the joint.  

• Remove the syringe with fluid and replace it with a syringe containing medication. 

• Use the same needle and inject medication into the joint. 

• Place a bandage over the area. 

What Happens After Joint Aspiration? 

After the joint aspiration, you can go home on the same day. Your doctor will ask you to not lift anything heavy or put weight on the treated area for at least 48 hours. 

A synovial biopsy refers to a procedure to remove a piece of your tissue lining for examination. The tissue lining your joints is called the synovial membrane. 

Why Do You Need Synovial Biopsy? 

You may need a synovial biopsy if you have gout, bacterial infection, or arthritis. 

What Happens During Synovial Biopsy? 

Your doctor may perform the procedure in one of the two ways: 

• Arthroscopic Procedure: 

During this procedure, your doctor will: 

• Give you an anaesthetic. 

• Make a small incision in the skin near the joint. 

• Insert a tool called biopsy grasper through the trocar. 

• Remove the grasper along with some tissue. 

• Close the incision. 

• Needle Biopsy: 

During this procedure, your doctor will: 

• Identify the site with the help of an ultrasound. 

• Clean the biopsy site properly and insert a needle-sized trocar into the joint. 

• Insert a biopsy needle through the trocar and cut a small piece of your tissue. 

• Remove the trocar. 

• Apply bandage to the area.

Rheumatoid factor refers to an antibody. However, unlike other antibodies, a rheumatoid factor does not fight infections but causes damage to your healthy tissues. A rheumatoid factor test can help your doctor in diagnosing certain autoimmune diseases. 

What Are the Symptoms of Rheumatoid Factor? 

If you have high rheumatoid factor level in your body, you may experience: 

• Joint pain. 

• Fatigue. 

• Swelling. 

• Skin discolouration. 

• Fever. 

When Do You Need a Rheumatoid Factor Test? 

You may need a rheumatoid factor test if you have: 

• Rheumatoid arthritis. 

• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis. 

• Lupus. 

• Hepatitis B. 

• Tuberculosis. 

What Happens During a Rheumatoid Factor Test? 

During the procedure, your doctor will: 

• Clean the area properly. 

• Put an elastic band around your upper arm to put pressure on your veins. 

• Insert a needle into your arm and collect blood samples in a vial. 

• Remove the needle and put a bandage over the area. 

• Send your blood sample to the laboratory.

An antinuclear antibody or ANA test checks for antinuclear antibodies in your child’s body. If your child detects positive for ANA, this may indicate an autoimmune disorder. 

Why Do You Need an ANA Test? 

You may need an ANA test if you have: 

• Scleroderma. 

• Systemic lupus erythematosus. 

• Polymyositis. 

• Dermatomyositis. 

• Mixed connective tissue disease. 

• Juvenile onset idiopathic arthritis. 

What Are the Symptoms of an Autoimmune Disease? 

If your child has ANA, it may show the following symptoms: 

• Joint stiffness. 

• Fatigue. 

• Butterfly-shaped red rash. 

• Muscle pain. 

• Fever. 

What Happens During an ANA Test? 

ANA test is a normal blood test. Your doctor will draw some of your child’s blood from his arm and send this sample to a laboratory for test. 

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Test 

An erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test is a blood test that your doctors use to detect inflammation in your body. It may help in the diagnosis of infections, autoimmune diseases, arthritis, blood disorders, and even some types of cancer. 

What Happens During the ESR Test? 

ESR test is a normal blood test. Your doctor will draw some blood from your arm and send this sample to a laboratory for test. 

An erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test is a blood test that your doctors use to detect inflammation in your body. It may help in the diagnosis of infections, autoimmune diseases, arthritis, blood disorders, and even some types of cancer. 

What Happens During the ESR Test? 

ESR test is a normal blood test. Your doctor will draw some blood from your arm and send this sample to a laboratory for test. 

A C-reactive protein or CRP test measures the level of C-reactive protein in your body. C-reactive protein is produced by your liver in response to inflammation.  

Why Do You Need a CRP Test? 

You may need a CRP test, if you have: 

• Bacterial infection. 

• Fungal infection. 

• Inflammatory bowel disease. 

• Autoimmune diseases. 

• Some types of arthritis. 

• Pelvic inflammatory disease. 

What Happens During a CRP Test? 

CRP test is a normal blood test. Your doctor will draw some blood from your arm and send this sample to a laboratory for test. 

Disease-modifying antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) 

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or DMARDs are a group of medications that help in reducing inflammation and pain.  

What Do DMARDs Do? 

DMARD helps in: 

• Reducing pain and inflammation. 

• Slowing the speed of a disease. 

• Preserving your joint function. 

• Reducing or preventing joint damage and bone erosion. 

Which Diseases Do DMARDs Treat? 

DMARDs are mostly prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis, but these also treat: 

• Psoriatic arthritis. 

• Ankylosing spondylitis. 

• Systemic lupus erythematosus. 

• Systemic sclerosis. 

• Uveitis. 

• Inflammatory bowel disease. 

• Crohn’s disease. 

How Do DMARDs Work? 

The mode of action of DMARDs varies. These generally work by: 

• Targeting a specific pathway in your body to change immune response. 

• Reducing your immune system’s response to attacking healthy tissues. 

• Working on individual immune system proteins.