kamilraimee

4 years

What are the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Hello doc, I want to ask what are the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis? Both of them are joint pain right? Would the treatment be different too? Can a person get both?

Dr Ramzdhan,

4 years

Hi, thank you for your question. Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) both causes joint pain and can happen at the same time. However, they present differently and will require different types of treatment. The main difference between these 2 are their causes.

Osteoarthritis occurs due to wear and tear of the joint surface, while RA is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system is faulty and attacks the joints. OA affects joints in hands, hips, knees or spine on 1 side of the body, while RA affects small and large joints on both sides of the body. OA cause little or no swelling, while RA has more severe swelling.

OA patients experience morning stiffness which often resolves in <30minutes, while RA stiffness lasts >30 minutes. OA develops gradually over the years, while RA develops rapidly over weeks to months. OA occurs in elderly, while RA can happen at any age. OA has no systemic (affecting whole body) symptoms, but RA has.

Treatment of OA and RA involves physical and occupational therapy. Physical therapy reduces pain, increase flexibility and strengthen muscles around joint. Occupational therapy improves ability to perform activities of daily living.

Other treatment for OA involves medications like acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDS) to relieve pain. Corticosteroid injections can also relieve pain, while hyaluronic acid injections helps lubricate joints. The last resort will be joint replacement surgery.

Meanwhile, for RA, other treatments involve nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDS) to reduce pain and inflammation, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) to suppress immune system and reduce damage to joints, corticosteroids to reduce pain and inflammation, biologic agents to target immune system that triggers inflammation, and surgery to remove inflamed joint lining, repair tendons, fuse joint or replace joint.

Please click on this link (DoctorOnCall) to talk to us privately online and discuss further about your inquiries. Thank you.

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