Many joints may be affected. Patients may have a sense of overall sickness and fatigue, and may experience fever and weight loss. Morning joint stiffness may be prolonged. OA is often caused by mechanical joint stress over years, although it may also be triggered by joint injury, or caused by heredity. The symptoms of OA are typically pain and stiffness, with inflammation less common.
Morning stiffness is usually brief.
Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are two different disorders. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis affect people in different ways. Someone with osteoarthritis may experience pain and stiffness in an isolated joint or joints. A person with rheumatoid arthritis may experience an overall feeling of sickness and fatigue, as well as joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation. For help in managing your arthritis, see your doctor, or visit the home page of the HealthAtoZ Arthritis forum for organizations offering support for patients with this condition.