Osteoarthritis is caused by mechanical wear and tear on joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body's own immune system attacks the body's joints. It may begin any time in life. It usually begins later in life.
Joints in RA look different than joints in OA. That's why X-rays are a helpful tool for figuring out the cause of joint pain. On an X-ray, there's less space between the bones in OA. But in RA, the bone is more eroded.
OA usually affects fewer joints, and its symptoms are generally limited to the joints. The progression of RA is more difficult to predict, and it can cause more widespread symptoms. The outlook for people with RA has greatly improved due to advances in research and therapies.
Blood tests are not needed to diagnose all types of arthritis, but they help to confirm or exclude some forms of inflammatory arthritis. Your doctor may also draw joint fluid or do a skin or muscle biopsy to help diagnose certain forms of arthritis.
Imaging Tests
Doctors may use x-rays to monitor the progression of the disease or to rule out other causes for the joint pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound may help diagnose rheumatoid arthritis in the early stages of the disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis can be one of the most painful types of arthritis; it affects joints as well as other surrounding tissues, including organs. This inflammatory, autoimmune disease attacks healthy cells by mistake, causing painful swelling in the joints, like hands, wrists and knees.
No blood test can definitively prove or rule out a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, but several tests can show indications of the condition. Some of the main blood tests used include: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) – which can help assess levels of inflammation in the body.
Although there's no blood test for osteoarthritis, certain tests can help rule out other causes of joint pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Joint fluid analysis. Your doctor might use a needle to draw fluid from an affected joint.
A person with RA may feel intense pain in their joints during flares. This can feel like sustained pressure, a burning sensation, or a sharp pain. However, people with RA may also experience periods of remission when they feel few to no symptoms. In addition to causing joint pain, RA can affect the whole body.
Imaging tests
Your doctor may recommend X-rays to help track the progression of rheumatoid arthritis in your joints over time. MRI and ultrasound tests can help your doctor judge the severity of the disease in your body.
Signs that you need specialist care for osteoarthritis
Your primary care physician may refer you to a rheumatologist if: Your pain is persistent. Symptoms have not subsided and are worsening despite treatment. Your doctor is unable to diagnose the underlying cause.
People with arthritis often experience more severe pain and stiffness first thing in the morning, Dr Christine Haseler, a GP with a special interest in arthritis says: “Joints affected by osteoarthritis often stiffen up in the mornings and can make nights uncomfortable and restless.
The main clinically useful biologic markers in patients with RA include rheumatoid factors (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP).
Methotrexate is usually the first medicine given for rheumatoid arthritis, often with another DMARD and a short course of steroids (corticosteroids) to relieve any pain. These may be combined with biological treatments.
The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis often develop gradually over several weeks, but some cases can progress quickly over a number of days. The symptoms vary from person to person. They can come and go, and may change over time.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. Some people call it degenerative joint disease or “wear and tear” arthritis.
Both conditions cause joint pain, sure, but RA is systemic while OA is localized. But here's the rub: People with RA may also develop OA. Learn what it means to have this double-whammy diagnosis and how you can navigate OA with as much tenacity and grace as you do RA.
An OA diagnosis typically involves a medical history, physical examination, and imaging studies. Bloodwork might be done to rule out RA and other types of autoimmune arthritis. With this overlap in diagnosis, RA is sometimes mistaken for OA — “it often happens, especially as patients get older,” Dr. Lee says.
Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include: Tender, warm, swollen joints. Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity. Fatigue, fever and loss of appetite.
People with rheumatoid arthritis typically have several permanently inflamed joints. The inflammation inside the body can lead to general physical weakness, drowsiness and exhaustion. This feeling of extreme tiredness is also called "fatigue." Some people find this to be the worst symptom of the disease.
The typical case of rheumatoid arthritis begins insidiously, with the slow development of signs and symptoms over weeks to months. Often the patient first notices stiffness in one or more joints, usually accompanied by pain on movement and by tenderness in the joint.