Try our interactive Symptom Checker!

This tool is designed as a resource to help you communicate more effectively with your health care provider about symptoms you may be experiencing. Simply answer the questions based on your symptoms, then print out the results and take them to your next appointment with your health care provider.

Try our Symptom Checker

Have you had persistent joint pain for less than 6 weeks ?

If you are experiencing joint pain lasting less than six weeks, it may be too early to tell if your symptoms are related to arthritis, or possibly a musculoskeletal injury. If you are in significant discomfort, contact your health care provider. Monitor your symptoms – and if they continue beyond six weeks, come back and take the Symptom Checker again and use the summary page as a way to discuss your symptoms with your health care provider.

Some of the tasks we do in our daily lives, like repeating the same movement, reaching, lifting, and awkward postures can cause strain on our bodies. Sometimes straining our bodies can result in a disorder or injury to muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels or joints of the neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, legs and back. This could include a sprain, strain or inflammation. This type of disorder or injury is called a musculoskeletal injury (MSI). Some examples include tendinitis, ruptured/herniated disc, bursitis and ligament sprain.

Signs of an MSI include swelling, redness and/or difficulty moving the affected part of the body. Symptoms may include numbness, tingling and pain. Signs and symptoms may appear suddenly, for example you can trace them to a particular incident. Alternately the signs and symptoms may appear gradually overtime.

If you have signs and symptoms of an MSI you should talk with your healthcare provider to develop a treatment plan designed to address your particular condition.

Disclaimer: Arthritis Society Canada’s Symptom Checker was designed to help you have more effective conversations with your healthcare provider. The information provided is for educational purposes and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult with your healthcare provider.

Symptom Checker Terms of Use

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE SYMPTOM CHECKER.

These Terms of Use govern your use of Arthritis Society Canada’s Symptom Checker. We may modify them periodically and changes become effective immediately. By using and continuing to use the Symptom Checker, you are agreeing to be bound by these Terms of Use and any changes we make to the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these Terms of Use, do not use the Symptom Checker.

By ‘we’, ‘our’, or ‘us,’, we mean Arthritis Society Canada.

By ‘you’, ‘your’ or ‘user’ we mean an individual who uses the Symptom Checker.

The Symptom Checker is a 6-step tool that provides possible indications of arthritis and helps users communicate more effectively with their healthcare providers. In administering the Symptom Checker, we may collect Personal Information, as defined within our Privacy Policy, so that we can provide you with information that may allow you to:

  • identify possible symptoms of arthritis and discuss your symptoms with your healthcare professional;
  • receive personalized health resources; and
  • share information, if you choose, with other people by using your email program, an online forum (e.g. Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites or pages) or other websites or resources.

The Symptom Checker is free and you can access it from Arthritis Society Canada website.

Our Symptom Checker also includes ‘Arthritis Society Canada Content’ such as logos, trade-marks and information about health-related topics as well as postings, messages, text, graphics, images and other material. The Arthritis Society Canada Content is the property of Arthritis Society Canada or its owners as the case may be, and is protected by Canadian and international copyright, trade-mark, and other applicable laws.

‘Content’ refers to Arthritis Society Canada Content together with User Content. You do not acquire ownership rights or any implied right to any Content obtained, accessed or viewed through the Symptom Checker, and the posting of information or materials into the Symptom Checker does not constitute a waiver of any rights in such information, materials and/or Content.

  1. To access and use the Symptom Checker, you must agree to these Terms of Use. To receive a PDF copy of your results, you will be required to enter your name and email address.
  2. You are authorized to use the Symptom Checker only if you agree to abide by all applicable laws and regulations, these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy, and you are 19 years of age or older.
  3. By accepting these Terms of Use, you represent that you are 19 years of age or older. We may delete your User Content without warning if we believe that you are younger than 19.
  4. You agree to use the Symptom Checker for lawful purposes only and acknowledge that your failure to do so may subject you to criminal and civil liability.
  5. You are solely responsible for providing accurate Account Information and User Content.
  6. Your access to and use of the Symptom Checker is restricted to personal, non-commercial use. You acknowledge that the Symptom Checker enables you to store User Content temporarily.
  7. We manage your Personal Information in accordance with Arthritis Society Canada’s Privacy Policy, which should be reviewed in conjunction with these Terms of Use. Your use of the Symptom Checker is conditional upon your agreement to the collection, use and disclosure of your Personal Information as described in the Privacy Policy.
  8. You agree not to enter any Personal Information about another individual in the Symptom Checker unless you first have that individual’s express consent.
  9. You are responsible for taking steps to protect the security and privacy of your Account. See Arthritis Society Canada’s Privacy Policy for more information on your responsibilities. We cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with your responsibilities.

  1. Arthritis Society Canada reserves the right (but is not obligated) to:
    • In its sole discretion, monitor, delete or request the removal of any User Content, for any reason, at any time, and without prior notice, regardless of whether the User Content meets the standards defined in this Agreement.
    • Take legal action against anyone who, in Arthritis Society Canada sole discretion, violates our Terms of Use.
  2. Arthritis Society Canada has no liability or responsibility to users or any other person or entity for performance or non-performance of the aforementioned activities.
  3. When you use the Symptom Checker, you may not:
    • Rebroadcast, retransmit or redistribute any Arthritis Society Canada Content without our express written permission
    • Circumvent or modify, or attempt or encourage any other person to do the same, any security technology or measures or software that is part of the Symptom Checker
    • Use the Symptom Checker in an unlawful manner or any other manner that could damage, disable, overburden or impair the Symptom Checker
    • Knowingly or recklessly deliver any malicious code, whether originating from you or any third party that contains or executes any viruses, trojan horses, worms, spyware, adware, or could otherwise delay, disrupt or damage the Symptom Checker or any associated software, computers or websites

If you have any concerns about acceptable use contact us at: [email protected].

Exclusive jurisdiction for any dispute with us, or in any way relating to your use of the Symptom Checker, resides in the courts of the Province of Ontario. You agree and expressly consent to the exercise of personal jurisdiction in the courts of the Province of Ontario in connection with any such dispute, including any claim involving us or our employees, contractors, officers, directors, telecommunication providers, and content providers.

These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. If any provision of these Terms of Use is found to be invalid by any court having competent jurisdiction, the invalidity of such provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of these Terms of Use, which shall remain in full force and effect. No waiver of any of these Terms of Use shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or any other term or condition.

We hope that you find our Symptom Checker useful and easy to use and we value your feedback. Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions, requests or comments.

We provide the Symptom Checker as a public service, and you use it and all Content at your own risk. Any Content provided in relation to the Symptom Checker is for informational, reference and educational purposes only. Arthritis Society Canada assumes no responsibility or liability arising from any error in, or omission of, information, or from the use of any information or advice contained therein. For clarity, we shall not be liable for any and all damages howsoever caused (including, but not limited to, negligence, personal injury or death) resulting from the use or inability to use the Symptom Checker or Content.

Not Medical Advice

Arthritis Society Canada does not provide medical advice. The Symptom Checker and Content provide users with information to help them better understand their health, diagnosed conditions, and the current range of approaches related to arthritis treatment, prevention, screening, and supportive care. Information contained within the Symptom Checker and the Content is not intended to be considered or relied upon as medical advice or a substitute for medical advice, a medical diagnosis or treatment from a qualified physician or healthcare professional. Arthritis Society Canada urges users to consult with a qualified physician or healthcare professional for diagnosis and for answers to their personal medical questions. You are responsible for obtaining appropriate medical advice from a physician or other qualified healthcare professional prior to acting upon any information available through the Symptom Checker, including the Content.

Not Emergency or Crisis Care

The Symptom Checker and Content are not for emergency use. If you require emergency help, contact your local emergency services (for example, in many jurisdictions in Canada you can call 911 or go to your local hospital emergency room).

No Endorsement

Arthritis Society Canada does not endorse or recommend any specific tests, physicians, commercial products, procedures, opinions, processes, or services. For greater clarity, the mentioning of commercial products, processes, or services on the Symptom Checker or in any Content, or the acceptance by Arthritis Society Canada of financial support from organizations dealing in commercial products, processes or services mentioned in the Symptom Checker or the Content, does not constitute an endorsement of nor can it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation of such commercial products, processes or services or any organization.

Links

Arthritis Society Canada websites may provide links to third-party Internet sites. Such links are provided only for informational purposes and for the convenience of users. When users select a link to an external website using The Symptom Checker or the Content, they are leaving the Arthritis Society Canada website and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the external site.

Arthritis Society Canada does not endorse organizations that sponsor linked, external websites. In addition, Arthritis Society Canada does not endorse the views they express or the products or services that such organizations may offer. Arthritis Society Canada does not control or guarantee the currency, accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of information found on linked, external websites.

Arthritis Society Canada cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials published on linked, external websites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsors of those linked websites.

Arthritis Society Canada is not responsible for transmissions users may receive from linked, external websites.

Arthritis Society Canada is not responsible for or liable in any way for commercial transactions users engage in with linked third party websites.

We provide the Symptom Checker and Content on an “as is” basis, as a public service only for use at your own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Arthritis Society Canada disclaims all warranties, express or implied, statutory or otherwise, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, non-infringement of third parties’ rights, and fitness for a particular purpose. Without limiting the foregoing, Arthritis Society Canada shall not be liable for any and all damages howsoever caused (including, but not limited to, incidental and consequential damages, negligence, personal injury/wrongful death, lost profits, or damages resulting from lost data or business interruption) resulting from the use or inability to use the Symptom Checker or the Content presented therein, whether based on warranty, contract, tort or any other legal theory, and whether or not Arthritis Society Canada is advised of the possibility of such damages.

Except as expressly provided in a particular “legal notice” on an Arthritis Society Canada website, these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and us with respect to use of any Arthritis Society Canada website, including the Symptom Checker and Content.