Osteoarthritis & rheumatoid arthritis

Discovering the difference…

Arthritis is a broad term used for a number of disorders, diseases and issues related mainly to joints of the human body. However, the two most common forms of arthritis include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Most people don’t even know that these two diseases are very  different from each other in a variety of ways such as:

	Osteoarthritis	Rheumatoid arthritis
1	It is also known as degenerative arthritis	It is also known as inflammatory arthritis or polyarthritis
2	It is a more common disease than rheumatoid arthritis	It is a less common disease than osteoarthritis
3	Osteoarthritis is a deterioration of cartilage and overgrowth of bone often due to “wear and tear”	Rheumatoid arthritis is the inflammation of a joint’s connective tissues, such as the synovial membranes, which leads to the destruction of the articular cartilage
4	It is a non-inflammatory disease of the joints which is characterized by degeneration of the cartilage of the joints and a hardening (sclerosis) of the underlying bone	It is a complex inflammatory disease that mainly affects joints and various other parts of the body
5	Its cause is known and it is often caused by the aging phenomenon that affects joints. Other possible causes include obesity, joint injury, overuse of joints and heredity	Its cause is known. It is believed to be an “autoimmune disease” in which your body’s immunity works against your own cells and tissues instead of germs
6	It usually begins later in life, usually after age 50	It usually begins between age 30 and age 60, but can begin anytime
7	It results from the breakdown of the tissue inside the joints	It results from swelling in the joints
8	Cartilages are involved	Synovial membranes (thin membranes between joints) are inflamed
9	It is a degenerative disease primarily of weight-bearing joints (commonly the spine, hip, knee and also the terminal interphalangeal joints of the hands, but any joint may be involved)	It commonly involves the wrists, fingers and other synovial joints (for example, knees and elbows)
10	It tends to affect hands and feet first, but can affect any joints	It mostly affects hips, knees, feet, and spine; rarely affects hands
11	Osteoarthritis affects only joints, not internal organs	Rheumatoid arthritis affects joints, tissues and a lot of internal systems of the body
12	Two most common symptoms are pain and swelling over affected joints	Common symptoms include pain, stiffness, heat, redness, tenderness over affected joints
13	Joints are tender but not warm	Joints are tender are warm
14	Pain often affects only one joint	Pain usually occurs in joints on both sides of the body (e.g., both wrists or both ankles)
15	Blood tests are often normal	Blood tests often show indications of inflammation, anemia (blood deficiency)

Did you know that while both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis differ from each other in a number of ways, there are some natural or herbal supplements that are equally effective for both conditions?