What is the difference between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis? - Dr. Yogesh Singh

There is a lot of difference between these 2 conditions. Rheumatoid arthritis is because of inflammation in the joints and it tends to affect the younger individuals when compared to the older individuals and the type of joint s that it affects s different. It affects the shoulder, elbow, the wrist, knees, hands, ankle. This is what is called as the poly articular presentation. It involves of joints at a time and the treatment is basically based on medications. Whereas osteoarthritis is because of the wear and tear of the joints, and it tends to occur in older individuals. as we get older, there will be some wear and tears in the joints, some osteoarthritis in the joints, The joints it affects is different, it commonly affects the knee joints, the hip joints, It usually affects the first MTP or the great toe of the foot and in the hand it mainly affects the thumb joints and the distal interphalanagal joints. The treatment is also different. In osteoarthritis, treatment mainly based on lifestyle changes, exercises, joint protection, weight reduction and medications are mainly in the form of pain medications. So these two conditions are entirely different with different symptoms, different joint involvement and different pathogenesis, different treatments, different things which drive the disease itself. So everything is different.