I think it depends on who's doing the squeezing. A good, experienced rheumy really can tell by the feel of the joint whether or not it is compromised. In my experience they are not looking so much to see if it hurts as they are searching for a particular sensation that implies a joint is swollen inside. I have had another, not-so-great, rheumy tell me that joints visibly swollen to the half-blind are just fine.

Like anything that is somewhat subjective, confirmation bias comes into play. If they pegged you as a drug-seeking faker the second you came through the door, they won't feel anything. Imaging can be more objective, but it's only as good as whoever is reading the images, too.

"If they pegged you as a drug-seeking faker the second you came through the door, they won't feel anything. "

mam mia, alto, you are in rare form this week. :)

depot

Sally, I know... I know... I just sigh whenever he does that. Maybe I'm being too nice and compliant here. I halfway expect him to break out a dowsing rod right after. It seems, as you noted, obvious... and an obviously stupid assessment tool. Especially when he shrugs off pain or that it's RA based on it. I guess that's my overall anger with it. He uses it to dismiss me, or diminish symptoms. You knw, since your joints dont hurt MORE this way, wellllll... that's "just" tendonitis. Yeah... and now just tendonitis has lead to my toes trying to pop off my foot.

At least he is treating me with MTX, plaquenil, etc.

Alto and 51, you have good observations that it can be used as a very small piece of, er, subjective assessment.

Something someone (Alto? Sally?) said on another thread got me thinking about WHAT my rheumy office really specializes in. I think it's osteo. 95% of the people in the waiting room are quite (medically) elderly.

My interest is in how widespread is this being used.

My Rheumatologist does an assessment of my finger joints at each visit. With both his hands (one under and one over) he pushes on each joint in a downward fashion. He is calling off his assessment of each joint to the PA that is in the room who is entering the info into the laptop. It doesn't hurt the way he does it. He obviously can feel the amount of inflammation.

Also out of habit I will sometimes shake his hand when he first enters the room. He gives a very gentle (but not wishy-washy) hand shake which shows me he does have some idea of the pain involved.

My first RA doc did this a few times. When I was really swollen or complained. Most part I could walk out of a visit without any joint being touched or palpated.
Now I've had this done with my spine. In fact surgeon did this every visit. I know the reason why .
Sammy

My rheumy does a squeeze test two ways, he has me squeeze his finger and also squeeze a strength meter along with the manual exam of my finger joints.

I figure the finger squeeze test and the manual exam of my fingers are evaluated by his experience. The meter test gives a number so I can compare with previous visits and it directly correlates with how my hands are feeling on the day of my visit.