Anti-irritants: Some ointments and ointments contain peppermint or capsaicin, which is a spicy hot pepper ingredients. Friction on the painful joints can regulate joint pain signals and relieve pain. Extracting and analyzing the level of inflammation in your blood and synovial fluid can help your doctor determine what kind of arthritis you have. Blood tests that examine specific types of antibodies such as anti-CCP (anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide), RF (rheumatoid factor), and ANA (antinuclear antibodies) are also common diagnostic tests.