Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis affect different joints of the body, including the knees. When coming up with a diagnosis, doctors look at the characteristics of the symptoms to determine if the patient has rheumatoid or osteoarthritis. The doctor will want to know your age when you first noticed the signs, how fast the symptoms develop, the notable changes on the joint, how long the morning stiffness lasts, and other systemic symptoms on the rest of the body. Knee arthritis treatments are available and should be used where needed.

In the following article, the writer explores the different types of arthritis, with emphasis on rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Comparing Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints. Pain, swelling, and stiffness are the primary symptoms of arthritis. Any joint in the body may be affected by the disease, but it is particularly common in the knee.

Knee arthritis can make it hard to do many everyday activities, such as walking or climbing stairs. It is a major cause of lost work time and a serious disability for many people. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, but there are more than 100 different forms. While arthritis is mainly an adult disease, some forms affect children. Read more here

The differences between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are so distinct, that it is quite easy to tell them apart. For example, rheumatoid arthritis can manifest itself at any time, while osteoarthritis begins later in life. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, the degeneration of your joint is rapid, so you’ll notice symptoms evolve pretty fast, while osteoarthritis develops slowly. If the morning joint stiffness lasts for a short while in the morning, usually less than an hour, and returns later in the evening, you most likely have osteoarthritis.

In the following article, the writer discusses osteoarthritis, its impact on the knees, and the treatment.

The Impact of Osteoarthritis on Your Knees

Osteoarthritis (os-tee-o-arth-ri-tus) is the most common form of arthritis, and the knee is one of the most commonly affected joints. Everyone’s joints go through a normal cycle of damage and repair during their lifetime, but sometimes the body’s process to repair our joints can cause changes in their shape or structure. When these changes happen in one or more of your joints, it’s known as osteoarthritis. Read more here

The knee has the largest, and possibly the most important joint in the body. It facilitates your movements, and ease with which you can sit and stand. Osteoarthritis can affect one or both knees. Pain in the knee is one of the symptoms, and it is usually excruciating at the end of the day, or when you move your knee. You may also struggle to take the first steps in the morning due to the stiffness around your knee. This, however, doesn’t last longer than an hour. You will also discover that you cannot comfortably move as fast as you once did, or adequately stretch your legs.

In the following article, the writer discusses the treatment options for knee arthritis.

The Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knees

When it comes to treating osteoarthritis (OA) in your knees and hips, you may have more options than you realize. In March 2014, the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting osteoarthritis research and treatment, updated its recommendations for the treatment of osteoarthritis targeted to different patient characteristics. A group of 13 experts from around the world reviewed the latest research on OA treatments as the framework for the revised guidelines. OARSI published its first guidelines in 2008. Read more here

To effectively manage arthritis, you need to combine drug treatments with alternative treatments to help improve the effectiveness of the drugs. Exercising, weight management, acupuncture, balneotherapy, and the use of canes and crutches will help to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Depending on the severity, your doctor may recommend various medications, including anti-inflammation drugs and topical creams. In some cases, especially in older patients, joint replacement may become necessary.