Is there a website that will tell me the difference between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis? I know I have osteoarthritis in my lower back and hips, but can a person have osteoarthritis in their hands also? I have some awful pains in both thumbs. Not carpal tunnel syndrome, I've had surgery for that.
2007-06-15 18:55:13 · 8 answers · asked by junknstuffcollector 5 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Pain & Pain Management
Osteoarthritis of the hands is common.
http://arthritis.about.com/od/handandfingers/a/osteoarthritis.htm
Here's a quiz about osteo vs. rheumatoid:
http://arthritis.about.com/library/quiz/blquizraoa.htm
Another site about the difference:
http://www.ra.com/ra/rastore/cgi-bin/ProdSubEV_Cat_200156_NavRoot_303.htm
Sites about arthritis:
http://www.arthritis.org/index.php
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/arthritis.html
http://arthritis.webmd.com/default.htm
2007-06-15 19:07:38 · answer #1 · answered by Irene F 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have the same thing as you. I have had twelve surgeries on my back and a ten inch plate in the left hand, I'm waiting for the right hand, it hurts like heck but...I don't know, it took the left hand forever to heal.
I have carpal tendon also but, it doesn't bother me as much.
What the doctor will do is run a arthroscope into your hand and look at the joints and bones. They should all be nice and smooth, have a covering and be fluid in movement. Mine were all worn, looked like a Barber carpet and were very worn, the tendons were scraping and infected. A ten inch plate with ten screws held the hand stiff and let the bones calcify so it couldn't move, the pain is mostly gone now. I can move my singers freely but, not my wrist.
He has to put you to sleep for the scope, it's a camera on the end of a needle, they make four small incisions in your wrist and put the camera through this. It takes about 30 minutes.
2007-06-16 00:14:29 · answer #2 · answered by cowboydoc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can have osteoarthritis in your hands. Osteoarthritis is basically "wear and tear" type of joint degenerative process. Rheumatoid arthritis is related to an "autoimmune" process when your immune system is causing inflammatory process in your joints.
Good Luck
2007-06-15 20:30:58 · answer #3 · answered by Java King 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
call the doctor who diagnosed the osteoarthritis and direct your questions to him/her.
2007-06-15 18:57:55 · answer #4 · answered by KitKat 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need to ask YOUR doctor about YOUR problems...don't trust the stuff you read on the Internet...please~!!
And, Blessings to you and your medical problems...
I know it is very painful...
2007-06-15 19:00:24 · answer #5 · answered by Call me-C-4-Curious- 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try this website: I have the same problems.
2007-06-15 19:00:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi there, sorry to hear of all your problems, if you think that there should be a section just for us arthritics, please pop over to the forum and vote.
http://suggestions.yahoo.com/detail/?prop=answers&fid=29329
2007-06-16 07:10:37 · answer #7 · answered by Cowgirl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheumatoid_arthritis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteoarthritis
2007-06-15 18:59:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋