Voice- The Bodyshop with Jennifer Black and Dr. Steve is brought to you by Allegheny Chesapeake Physical Therapy.
Jennifer Black - Tonight we are going to talk about two kinds of arthritis - osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Steve, what is the difference?
Dr. Steve - Well Jennifer there is actually a big difference. Those two kinds of arthritis are probably the most common seen in people. The first one we are going to talk about is osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is looked at as the "wear and tear" arthritis.
Usually it affects the larger joints such as the hips and knees.
It is asymmetrical, so the swelling or effect is on one side of the body and doesn't necessarily affect the other.
It affects only the joints.
It is usually found in the elderly, or at least as you get older.
There is stiffness in the morning, which typical gets better as you move around a little bit.
It has a slow onset and occurs over many years.
The other arthritis we are talking about is rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is actually an autoimmune disease; it is not a "wear and tear" disease.
The pain is usually in the smaller joints such as the hands, ankles, and feet.
It is usually symmetrical, so if you get swelling in your hands it is usually on both sides.
Frequently when you have this kind of arthritis you also feel as though you have flu symptoms.
It can occur at any age and can even occur in children.
Stiffness is all day long not just after activity or in the morning.
Onset is rapid onset, which means this can occur in weeks or month - all of a sudden your feel its disability, swelling, and pain.
Both kinds of arthritis require some kind of intervention by a physical therapist to help manage the pain, preserve the joint, and maintain a good level of function for the person.
Jennifer Black - Thanks Dr. Steve. If you have any questions for Dr. Steve or you would like your question answered by Dr. Steve on the air, contact him at www.alleghenychesapeake.com or 1-800-NEW-SELF.
Dr. Steve Show/The Body Shop