Osteoarthritis(OA) andrheumatoid arthritis(RA) are the most well-known types of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most common jot down of the disease, affecting about 27 million Americans.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects far fewer peopleabout 1.3 million Americansbut it is the most disabling form.
Verywell / Tim Liedtke
The two diseases have a lot ofsimilarities and differences.
Causes
RA and OA have very different causes.
RA is autoimmune, while OA is triggered by a physical problem in the joint.
OA can be classified as primary or secondary, depending on what led to it.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is anautoimmune disease.
It typically targets joints in a symmetrical pattern (both sides at once).
RA can go beyond the joints as well, attacking your cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
Thus far, the causes of RA are unclear.
Known risk factors include a genetic predisposition, obesity, smoking, and exposure to smoke early in life.
The underlying condition may be a joint injury or medical condition.
That medical condition can be RA because of the damage it does to your joints.
However, that’s not always the case in someone with RA who develops OA.
The co-occurrence can be just a coincidence.
Talk to your healthcare provider to see if you’ve developed another illness.
Treatment Interactions
In osteoarthritis, treatment deals primarily with lowering inflammation and pain levels.
They target the autoimmune response and don’t do anything directly to your joints.
Keep in mind that you have a lot of tools available for managing your pain and other symptoms.
Neogi T.The epidemiology and impact of pain in osteoarthritis.Osteoarthr Cartil.
2014;16(2):R84.
2014;66(1):18-27. doi:10.4081/reumatismo.2014.760
Arthritis Foundation.Osteoarthritis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What is osteoarthritis (OA)?Updated May 4, 2020.
UpToDate: Patient information.Osteoarthritis symptoms and diagnosis.
