According to the National Institutes of Health, osteoarthritis is the "most common joint disorder" that can affect people. In addition, "osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your body, though it most commonly affects joints in your hands, hips, knees and spine. Osteoarthritis typically affects just one joint, though in some cases, such as with finger arthritis, several joints can be affected", according to the Mayo Clinic. Two types of osteoarthritis exist: primary osteoarthritis and secondary osteoarthritis.
Primary Osteoarthritis
The first type of osteoarthritis is primary osteoarthritis. Primary osteoarthritis appears without any type of injury or cause, which can be perplexing for both doctors and patients. Primary osteoarthritis grows progressively worse, and there is no cure. Nevertheless, primary osteoarthritis patients can use medication to alleviate some of the symptoms.
Secondary Osteoarthritis
The other form of osteoarthritis is secondary osteoarthritis. Unlike primary osteoarthritis, secondary osteoarthritis is caused by a disease or another condition. The most common causes of secondary osteoarthritis include inflammatory disease, injuries, metabolic conditions and anatomy problems. An example of an inflammatory disease that causes secondary osteoarthritis is septic arthritis. Acromegaly is a type of metabolic condition that results in secondary osteoarthritis, and bow-leggedness is an example of an anatomy problem.
Symptoms
Both types of osteoarthritis have similar symptoms. Pain in the joints is the most common symptom of osteoarthritis. For example, an osteoarthritis patient will have deep, aching pains in the joints, which becomes worse with physical activity. Pain can also occur in the patient's joints during wet weather. Other joint conditions include joint swelling and joint irritation with movement. As a result of joint problems, an osteoarthritis patient will also experience limited movement and morning stiffness.
