At Your Appointment

Osteoarthritis of the Knee Appointment Guide

Ask the right questions at your next doctor’s appointment. Answer two questions below to personalize your appointment guide.
  • Please describe the symptoms and issues you’re having that led you to schedule this online appointment. Start at the beginning of this current episode and tell me how and when things have changed and progressed.
  • Do you have knee pain even at rest?
  • How is your knee arthritis limiting your daily activities?
  • Has physical therapy helped your knee arthritis?
  • If you are a good candidate, are you ready to consider a knee replacement?
  • Describe your symptoms. Are you having knee pain, swelling, stiffness or grating? Do you have trouble walking or rising from a seated position?
  • How long have you had these knee symptoms?
  • On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst pain ever, how severe is your pain?
  • Are your knee symptoms constant or do they come and go?
  • What seems to make your knee symptoms better or worse?
  • Have you ever injured your knee or had surgery on it?
  • Are you having any side effects or other challenges taking your arthritis medicine?
  • What have you tried so far to relieve your knee arthritis pain and symptoms? Has it been effective?
  • What new symptoms are you experiencing?
  • Do my symptoms mean I have knee arthritis?
  • Could another medical condition be causing or contributing to my symptoms?
  • How do you diagnose knee arthritis?
  • Do I have risk factors for osteoarthritis?
  • How do you treat knee arthritis?
  • What caused my knee arthritis? How severe is my knee arthritis?
  • How do you expect my knee arthritis to progress with time? What can I do to slow its progression?
  • Are there lifestyle changes I can make to improve my knee pain and other symptoms?
  • What medication do you recommend to treat my knee arthritis?
  • What are my options if this treatment does not relieve my pain and other symptoms?
  • When do you recommend knee replacement surgery for knee arthritis?
  • Are there other arthritis treatments that would do a better job of controlling my pain and other symptoms?
  • Do my new or different symptoms mean my knee arthritis is getting worse?
  • What is the best treatment plan for my knee arthritis? Am I a candidate for knee replacement?
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Last Review Date: 2018 Dec 20
THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.
  1. Arthritis of the Knee. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/arthritis-of-the-knee/
  2. Knee Pain. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/knee-pain/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350855 
  3. Osteoarthritis. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoarthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351925