Tests That Your Doctor May Carry Out

Joint and Muscle Problems Associated with Diabetes

Introduction
Connective Tissue Disorders
Tests Your Doctor May Carry Out
Myopathy
Cheiroarthropathy
Frozen Shoulder
Trigger Finger
Dupuytren’s Contracture
Carpel Tunnel
Stiff Man’s Syndrome [SMS] Also Known as Stiff Person’s Syndome
Diffuse idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis [DISH]

 

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Tests That Your Doctor May Carry Out

In connective tissue disorders there may be inflammation or infection present and/or there may be damage to muscles. There are two tests that the doctor may carry out:

  • ESR Test [erythrocyte sedimentation rate] – this is the ‘standard’ blood test that GPs often carry out for many conditions to find out if there is any infection present in the body. A high result means that there is an infection and this can then be treated.
  • Creatine Kinase Test – this is carried out to diagnose and monitor the progress of neuromuscular disorders. Creatine kinase [CK] is a protein found mainly in muscle and it is an enzyme that encourages a biochemical reaction to occur to provide a quick source of energy for the cells. If muscle is damaged, then during the muscle regeneration muscle cells break open and their contents go into the bloodstream. This means that the amount of CK in the blood will rise indicating that muscle damage has occurred and this can caused by chronic disease or by acute muscle injury.