Arthritis is usually diagnosed by the symptoms and a physical examination. In making a diagnosis, related factors, such as your occupation, activities that may strain joints (such as regular sporting activities), medical history, and any history of arthritis in your family, will be taken into account.

An X-Ray is particularly useful for identifying osteoarthritis, as it can highlight the narrowed space between the bones in a joint. It can also show whether there is any calcification, which is where calcium builds up in the body tissue, causing it to harden.

Occasionally, a computerized tomography scan (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging scan (MRI scan) is used to identify arthritis.