Differences between arthritis and osteoarthritis

What is arthritis?

It's an inflammatory disease, often autoimmune in origin, that can affect several joints at once and appear at any age. It's marked by constant pain, swelling, local warmth, and prolonged morning stiffness.

What is osteoarthritis?

It's a degenerative disease related to the wearing down of joint cartilage, more common from age 50 onward. Pain usually appears with movement and improves with rest, along with stiffness and joint cracking.

Treatment and the chiropractic approach

In both cases, chiropractic adjustments, a personalized exercise plan, and posture and rest guidance can help improve quality of life and reduce pain.

Frequently asked questions

Are they curable? Osteoarthritis has no cure but can be managed; some types of arthritis can go into remission with proper treatment.

How can I tell them apart? Arthritis tends to hurt at rest and improve with gentle movement; osteoarthritis is the opposite — it hurts with movement and improves with rest.

What type of exercise is best? Low-impact exercise, like walking or swimming, tends to be well tolerated in both cases.

Does chiropractic care help? Yes, as a complement to improve mobility and reduce the associated muscle tension.