Gout

• According to the Mayo Clinic, gout is a treatable yet complex disorder characterized by symptoms like extreme arthralgia (joint pain) and inflammation. The condition usually affects your big toe's joint but it can also affect ankles, wrists, hands, knees and feet. Without treatment, it usually lasts between 5 and 10 days and then subsides. It is diagnosed with a blood test and a test of your joint fluid.
  
  

Inflammatory Arthritis

• Inflammatory arthritis is an umbrella term which covers all types of arthritis which are connected with your immune system. This includes rheumatoid arthritis (autoimmune disease which attacks the membrane around your joints); ankylosing spondylitis (characterized by inflammation of the large joints and spine); lupus (affects your organs and connective tissue); Reiter's syndrome (affects tendons, skeleton, mucous membranes and joints); and psoriatic arthritis (your joints and skin become inflamed).
  
  

Bone Cancer

• The types of bone cancer which must be ruled out include osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. According to the American Cancer Society, osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone cancer and can metastasize (spread) beyond the bone. Ewing sarcoma is a tumor which is more common in children than adults and is more responsive to radiation treatment than osteosarcoma.
  
  

Traumatic Fractures and Stress Fractures

• Fractures caused by trauma are relatively easily diagnosed using X-ray technology. Stress fractures, however, are slightly more complicated. These tiny cracks in your bone are created by repetitive force and overuse (like long-distance running) or from normally using a bone which has been weakened. Anyone who has broken a bone can recognize symptoms of a traumatic fracture (swelling and pain with use). According to the Mayo Clinic, stress fractures may be characterized by swelling, pain which increases as time goes by, pain occurring earlier in each consecutive workout session and pain which decreases while resting and increases while active. These types of fractures usually do not appear on an X-ray for 3 to 4 weeks after you develop symptoms.
  
  

Diagnosing Osteomyelitis

• As all of the above conditions can have overlapping signs and symptoms, once they have been ruled out, the differential diagnosis becomes clearer. From that point, your doctor will examine your blood test results (which may indicate raised white blood cell levels due to infection). X-rays will show the extent that your bone has been damaged; although the damage does not usually show up for several weeks. Other imaging options like CT (computerized tomography) scans, bone scans or MRI (magnetic resonance imagine) may provide a clearer picture. Another diagnostic tool is a bone biopsy, which will help to identify the infecting bacteria to properly determine the necessary treatment.