Health Tip: Diagnosing Joint Pain

July 8 -- (HealthDay News) -- Joint pain has many possible causes, ranging from injury to arthritis.

To help your doctor diagnose a cause, it's important to fully discuss the details of your condition.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers this checklist:

• Which joint hurts, and which parts of the body are affected.
• If the pain just began, and whether you've felt it before.
• If the pain started severely or slowly, and if it is persistent or fluctuates.
• Any recent injuries, fevers or illnesses.
• What makes the pain feel better, and what makes it feel worse.
• Any other symptoms, including numbness or stiffness.
• Times of day that the pain is better, and times that it feels worse.