Knee: Evaluation tools
Contrary to popular belief osteoarthritis is not synonymous with ageing; it is a disease of the cartilage with various origins.
To assess your situation with regard to osteoarthritis, two notions are considered: on the one hand the factors that may cause its onset (see risk factors) and on the other hand the impact on your daily life.
In this section we offer evaluation methods either of your symptoms or your quality of life on a daily basis.
It is difficult to assess pain as each person expresses their feelings to a lesser or greater extent: it is a very subjective notion. Some people are "tough nuts" and speak little of their pain, while others are more "sensitive".
To help your doctor to quantify your sensation of pain, there are tools for pain self-evaluation that you complete yourself. This will allow you to present your results to your doctor during a consultation.
There are three main types: (Source: DGS 8, av. de Ségur 75007 Paris)
Your doctor may have suggested that you complete one of these questionnaires to assess the impact of osteoarthritis on your daily life.
In order to have a faithful record of the evolution of your disease we suggest you complete it, print a copy and submit it to your doctor and talk with him or her about it in a concrete way.
- General evaluation: This questionnaire assesses your health in a comprehensive way over the past 4 weeks, irrespective of the location of your osteoarthritis.
