Osteoarthritis is by far the commoner type of arthritis and can be thought of as 'wear and tear' damage to a joint. It usually occurs in older people and tends to affect the spine (both neck and lower-back), the hips, knees, elbows and shoulders. Nobody is clear about the exact cause of Osteoarthritis; it can sometimes run in families or it may result from severe localized damage in earlier life, such as a broken bone. Osteoarthritis tends to develop in one or two of the main weight-bearing joints of the body, but it does not usually affect all the joints of the body. The pain caused by osteoarthritis fluctuates; if a person suffers from osteoarthritis of the knee there will be periods when the knee is painful, and other times when the pain is less severe.
The X-ray of an osteoarthritis joint looks ragged and shows some joint destruction, but such X-ray findings do not correlate with the pain suffered. If joint destruction is demonstrable on the X-ray the patient may not have severe pain, and conversely the patient may have severe pain with few X-ray findings. The main problem with osteoarthritis is pain, which in turn causes a general lack of mobility and limited joint movement.
Rheumatoid arthritis is far less common than osteoarthritis and represents a completely different disease process. The small, non-weight-bearing joints in the hands and feet are affected by an active destructive process. This process is poorly understood and can occasionally result in joint deformity.
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