What Are The 4 Stages of Osteoarthritis? Topic Guide

Arthritis is a serious disease and establishing an accurate diagnosis is key to the right kind of treatment. As a patient, you are the most important advocate for your treatment, so proper education is key for a good outcome.

Diet can affect health in many ways, and researchers have shown diet-related factors may be implicated in worsening of osteoarthritis. Obesity increases the risk for developing this condition. Bone mineral calcium supplements and vitamin C also, for instance, can help reduce the symptoms.

Arthritis is inflammation of the joints. Arthritis causes include injury, abnormal metabolism (such as gout), inheritance (such as in osteoarthritis), infections (such as in the arthritis of Lyme disease), and an overactive immune system (such as rheumatoid arthritis [RA] and systemic lupus erythematosus). Symptoms of arthritis include pain and limited joint function. Treatment may include pain medications, pain-relieving creams, and dietary supplements.

Osteoarthritis is not a single disease but a culmination of problems that leads to skeletal joint failure. Symptoms include aching, stiffness, and bone enlargement. Diet, exercise, pain medication, and sometimes surgery treat osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (often called RA) is a chronic (long-standing) disease that damages the joints of the body. Symptoms and signs of rheumatoid arthritis include joint pain, swelling, inflammation, stiffness, warmth, muscle aches, weakness, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, and malaise. Treatment may involve physical therapy, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy, heat and cold treatments, joint replacements, and medications.

Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, is caused by degeneration of cartilage and is also known as degenerative arthritis. In contrast, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder caused by the immune system attacking the joints. This autoimmune process causes systemic inflammation, while in osteoarthritis, mechanical degeneration causes localized inflammation. Osteoarthritis commonly affects a single joint, such as one knee.