Osteoarthritis vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis | What's the Difference?

Summary

This video explains the key differences between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a mechanical joint condition that affects older individuals, characterized by joint pain, often in isolated areas like the knees or hips, and typically causes less than 30 minutes of morning stiffness. In contrast, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, affecting younger adults, particularly women, and presents with widespread joint pain, prolonged morning stiffness, and nighttime pain. Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis involves blood tests and imaging. Viewers are encouraged to like and subscribe for more content.

Takeaways

• 🦴 Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis present similarly but have key differences in diagnosis and treatment.
• 🦵 Osteoarthritis affects joints due to mechanical wear and tear, commonly in older populations.
• 🔍 In osteoarthritis, cartilage thins over time, leading to pain in isolated joints like knees, hips, and thumbs.
• ⏰ Morning stiffness in osteoarthritis typically lasts less than 30 minutes and is less significant than in rheumatoid arthritis.
• 🏥 Osteoarthritis is diagnosed when patients are over 45, experience activity-related joint pain, and have less than 30 minutes of stiffness in the morning.
• 🔥 Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive autoimmune disease that causes widespread joint pain and stiffness, often in younger individuals.
• 👩‍⚕️ Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in women aged 30-50 and can have a hereditary link.
• 🌙 Patients with rheumatoid arthritis often experience night pain and longer morning stiffness, lasting 45 minutes to over an hour.
• 🩸 Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis involves blood tests for inflammatory markers and imaging to detect bone erosions or joint deformities.
• ⏩ Suspected rheumatoid arthritis cases should be urgently referred to a rheumatologist for further investigation and treatment.

Q & A

What are the similarities between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?

Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis present with pain, stiffness, and swelling of the joints.

How does osteoarthritis affect joints?

Osteoarthritis affects joints in a mechanical manner due to repeated activity over time, leading to the thinning of cartilage and less protection for bones at the joint.

Why is osteoarthritis more common in older populations?

Osteoarthritis is more common in older populations because it develops over a long period of time due to the wear and tear on joints.

What are the common locations for osteoarthritis to present?

Osteoarthritis commonly presents in the knees, hips, and thumb joints.

How long does morning stiffness typically last with osteoarthritis?

Morning stiffness with osteoarthritis typically lasts for less than 30 minutes.

What are the three specific factors that help diagnose osteoarthritis according to the NICE guidelines in the UK?

The three specific factors are: the patient is over the age of 45, the patient has activity-related joint pain, and their joint symptoms with stiffness last no longer than 30 minutes in the morning.

How does rheumatoid arthritis differ from osteoarthritis in terms of cause?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive and persistent inflammatory arthritis, an autoimmune condition, which is different from the mechanical cause of osteoarthritis.

What age group is rheumatoid arthritis more common in?

Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in women, particularly between the ages of 30 and 50 years old.

What is a key distinguishing feature of rheumatoid arthritis compared to osteoarthritis?

A key distinguishing feature of rheumatoid arthritis is widespread, multiple joint pains, as opposed to the isolated joint pain seen in osteoarthritis.

How long does early morning stiffness typically last with rheumatoid arthritis?

With rheumatoid arthritis, early morning stiffness can last up to 45 minutes, an hour, or even longer.

What steps are crucial for investigating rheumatoid arthritis?

Investigating rheumatoid arthritis involves blood tests to look for raised inflammatory markers and imaging such as x-rays to look for bony erosions or joint deformities, all under the care of a rheumatologist.

Outlines

00:00

🦴 Understanding the Differences Between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

The introduction outlines the purpose of the video, which is to explore and differentiate between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Both conditions share common symptoms like pain, stiffness, and joint swelling, but they have important differences. The speaker highlights the relevance of understanding these differences in clinical practice, as it helps with diagnosis and treatment.

⚙️ Osteoarthritis: A Mechanically Driven Condition

Osteoarthritis is explained as a condition primarily affecting joints due to mechanical wear and tear. Repeated joint activity over time leads to thinning of the cartilage, commonly affecting older adults. This thinning reduces joint protection, causing pain and sometimes visible changes like joint space narrowing and bony spurs. Osteoarthritis typically affects individual joints such as the knees, hips, and thumbs. Morning stiffness, if present, lasts less than 30 minutes, unlike other forms of arthritis. The condition is usually localized to one joint, and pain is often felt during movement, restricting the range of motion.

🔍 Key Clinical Indicators for Diagnosing Osteoarthritis

The NICE guidelines for diagnosing osteoarthritis are discussed. There are three main criteria: the patient is over 45 years old, has activity-related joint pain, and experiences morning stiffness lasting less than 30 minutes. These simple factors help clinicians diagnose osteoarthritis efficiently without the need for extensive tests.

🔥 Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Progressive Autoimmune Condition

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is introduced as a progressive inflammatory autoimmune disease that primarily affects younger people, especially women aged 30-50. Unlike osteoarthritis, RA affects multiple joints and has a hereditary component. The autoimmune nature of RA causes persistent inflammation, resulting in more widespread joint pain. This condition also presents significant stiffness, particularly during rest and early mornings, with stiffness lasting more than 45 minutes or longer.

🧪 Investigating Rheumatoid Arthritis: Blood Tests and Imaging

In diagnosing RA, blood tests are crucial for detecting raised inflammatory markers, and imaging such as X-rays can reveal joint damage like bony erosions. Early morning stiffness is a key diagnostic feature. Rheumatologists handle the diagnosis and treatment, and clinicians should refer patients to them urgently if RA is suspected. The video emphasizes the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment.

👍 Wrapping Up: Key Differences and More Resources

The video concludes with a summary of the key differences between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The speaker encourages viewers to support the channel by liking and subscribing and mentions additional resources available on their Instagram and website. The speaker signs off by thanking the audience and inviting them to stay connected for more updates.

Keywords

💡Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects joints in a mechanical manner, where the cartilage that covers the bones becomes thinner over time, leading to joint pain and restricted movement. This condition is commonly associated with older age and is typically caused by repeated joint activity. The video highlights that osteoarthritis usually affects isolated joints, particularly the knees, hips, and thumbs.

💡Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune, inflammatory condition that causes progressive joint damage, often presenting with multiple joint pains and stiffness, especially in the morning. The condition can affect younger individuals, particularly women between 30 and 50, and often has a genetic link. The video emphasizes the importance of blood tests and imaging to diagnose this condition.

💡Morning stiffness

Morning stiffness refers to the difficulty in moving joints after a period of rest, particularly after waking up. In osteoarthritis, this stiffness typically lasts less than 30 minutes, while in rheumatoid arthritis, it can last much longer, sometimes exceeding an hour. This is a key diagnostic feature to differentiate between the two conditions.

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is a key feature of rheumatoid arthritis, where the body’s immune system attacks its own joints, causing swelling, pain, and stiffness. The video contrasts this with osteoarthritis, where the pain is mechanical rather than inflammatory, making inflammation a core concept in distinguishing between the two types of arthritis.

💡Cartilage

Cartilage is the protective tissue that covers the ends of bones in joints. In osteoarthritis, this cartilage becomes thinner over time, reducing the joint's ability to cushion the bones, leading to pain. The video explains that this thinning of cartilage is a primary cause of osteoarthritis symptoms.

💡X-ray changes

X-ray changes refer to the diagnostic imaging findings that help confirm joint conditions. In osteoarthritis, X-rays may show narrowing of the joint space or bony spurs. These findings are crucial for diagnosing osteoarthritis as they reveal the mechanical changes in the joints over time, as described in the video.

💡Autoimmune

Autoimmune refers to the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking its own tissues, which is the underlying cause of rheumatoid arthritis. The video highlights that rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, unlike osteoarthritis, which is more mechanical in nature. This concept is central to understanding the difference between the two conditions.

💡Activity-related pain

Activity-related pain is a type of joint pain that worsens with movement or physical activity, which is commonly associated with osteoarthritis. The video explains that this type of pain is a key feature in diagnosing osteoarthritis, as patients report discomfort after joint use rather than during periods of rest.

💡Genetic link

A genetic link refers to the hereditary component of rheumatoid arthritis, where having family members with the condition increases a person's risk of developing it. The video points out that rheumatoid arthritis often runs in families, making this genetic aspect important for understanding the condition's risk factors.

💡Restricted range of movement

Restricted range of movement refers to the limited ability to move a joint through its full range, commonly seen in osteoarthritis. The video discusses how osteoarthritis patients experience pain and reduced movement in affected joints, especially during physical activities, which impacts their daily living.

Highlights

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis present similarly but have key differences.

Osteoarthritis affects joints in a mechanical manner due to repeated activity over time.

Osteoarthritis is more common in older populations.

Cartilage thinning is a characteristic of osteoarthritis.

X-ray changes like joint space narrowing can be seen in osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis commonly presents in one joint at a time, often knees and hips.

Osteoarthritis does not typically cause significant morning stiffness.

Patients with osteoarthritis experience pain at isolated joints.

The Nice guidelines in the UK provide three factors for diagnosing osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive and persistent inflammatory autoimmune condition.

Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in younger individuals and women aged 30-50.

Rheumatoid arthritis often has a family or hereditary link.

Rheumatoid arthritis presents with widespread multiple joint pains.

Significant stiffness during rest is typical in rheumatoid arthritis.

Early morning stiffness lasting up to an hour or more is a key sign of rheumatoid arthritis.

Investigating rheumatoid arthritis involves blood tests and imaging.

Rheumatoid arthritis is managed under the care of a rheumatologist.

The video provides educational content on the differences between the two conditions.

Transcripts

so osteoarthritis and rheumatoid

arthritis are two conditions that

present similarly but do have really key

differences that we need to understand

in clinical practice so if you're ready

let's explore the difference between

these

two so osteoarthritis and rheumatoid

arthritis present with pain stiffness

and swelling of the joints however there

are really important differences between

them that help us when it comes to

diagnosis and treatment of patients so

let's look at the differences between

the two starting with

osteoarthritis so osteoarthritis is a

condition affecting joints in a more

mechanical manner that means repeated

activity over time the way that our

joint moves repeatedly over a long

period of time or the way in which

weight gets distributed through the

joint over a long period of time and

when we think about it occurring over a

long period of time it explains why we

see this condition present more commonly

in the older population rather than the

younger population with osteoarthritis

the cartilage that cover our bones gets

a bit thinner over time thus offering a

little less protection to those bones at

the Joint we sometimes see the

development of X-ray changes such as

narrowing of the space between the joint

or the presence of bony Spurs it

commonly presents in one joint at a time

the knees and hips are where we probably

see the vast majority of patients in

physiotherapy but other common places

affected include the thumb joint for

example now unlike other forms of

arthritis osteoarthritis does not

typically cause significant stiffness in

the morning if our patient does have

morning stiffness with osteoarthritis it

typically lasts for less than 30 minutes

so when we examine patients with

osteoarthritis they'll commonly explain

that they have pain at an individual

isolated joint rather than pain at

multiple joints which we see with

rheumatoid arthritis at that individual

joint your patient may well present with

pain on palpation there may be some

swelling but less commonly than in

rheumatoid arthritis what will be

apparent is pain when you're moving that

joint which will highlight restricted

range of movement and will naturally

affect your patients activities of daily

living now when it comes to the nice

guidelines here in the UK they identify

three specific factors that can help a

clinician diagnose osteoarthritis number

one the patient is over the age of 45

number two that patient has activity

related joint pain and number three

their joint symptoms with stiffness last

no longer than 30 minutes in the morning

so next on to rheumatoid arthritis so we

mentioned with osteoarthritis that

symptoms present because of a mechanical

cause with rheumatoid arthritis this is

a progressive and persistent

inflammatory arthritis an autoimmune

condition and therefore we find it can

present more commonly in the younger age

group this condition presents more

commonly in women particularly between

the ages of 30 and 50 years old

rheumatoid arthritis also commonly has a

family or hereditary link so if patients

have parents or grandparents with

rheumatoid arthritis it increases the

chances of it developing in them as well

but of course another key feature of

this condition that we mentioned is that

it commonly presents with wiers spread

multiple joint pains this is a key

feature that distinguishes it from

osteoarthritis so rheumatoid arthritis

also typically presents with significant

stiffness during periods of rest and

this is why we see patients reporting

pain during the night and for long

periods of the night in particular the

second half of the night another key

distinguishing feature as we mentioned

previously is early morning stiffness so

with osteoarthritis we highlighted that

patients should present with early

morning stiffness for less than 30

minutes with rheumatoid arthritis we can

see that period extended up to 45

minutes up to an hour or even longer and

that early morning persistent stiffness

is a really key sign so with this in

mind as well as recognizing the key

clinical signs the crucial step for

investigating rheumatoid arthritis is

through blood tests to look for raised

inflammatory markers and often Imaging

such as x-rays to look for Boney

erosions or joint deformities this is

all done under the care of a

rheumatologist and so if you suspect RA

in your patients order those Bloods and

refer the patient onto Rheumatology

urgently so I really hope you've enjoyed

this video and it's helped explain some

of those key differences if you have

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remember we have loads more resources on

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my name is CARiD thank you so much for

watching see you soon here on clinical

physio