Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis cause pain and joint damage, but are very different diseases Risk factors include age, joint injury, and obesity. Learn about their differences, plus a natural remedy for pain relief.
Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can affect the hands Osteoarthritis is primarily a degenerative joint disease, often caused by wear and tear over time However, osteoarthritis often affects the joint closest to the tip of the finger, whereas rheumatoid arthritis usually spares this joint
Despite the fact that both types of arthritis cause joint pain, the two diseases have different diagnostic criteria Osteoarthritis (oa) and rheumatoid arthritis (ra) can both cause joint pain and stiffness However, how and why the symptoms develop differs. In osteoarthritis, the deterioration of cartilage leads to bone grinding on bone
In rheumatoid arthritis, the very synovium that keeps joints fluid becomes inflamed, thickened, and destructive Though the pain may feel similar, the damage comes from radically different places. While rheumatoid arthritis (ra) and osteoarthritis (oa) are both chronic joint disorders, only ra is also an autoimmune disease Ra and oa both cause joint pain, warmth, and tenderness
Osteoarthritis is caused by degeneration of cartilage and is also known as degenerative arthritis In contrast, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder caused by the immune system attacking the joints This autoimmune process causes systemic inflammation, while in osteoarthritis, mechanical degeneration causes localized inflammation. Arthritis encompasses a broad spectrum of joint disorders, with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis being the most prevalent
While both conditions involve joint pain and stiffness, they are fundamentally different in their causes, progression, and treatments. In oa, symptoms are usually limited to the joints Ra can cause more symptoms throughout the body, making its process more difficult to predict from patient to patient However, ra research has improved the outlook for patients with ra.
