Types of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is grouped in several ways. Knowing the type helps doctors plan care.

By cause

• Primary osteoarthritis: develops with age and wear without a clear trigger. This is the most common type.
• Secondary osteoarthritis: follows an injury, surgery, joint infection, inflammatory arthritis, gout, metabolic disease or a joint shape difference.

By joint

• Knee osteoarthritis: the commonest, often in the inner compartment
• Hip osteoarthritis: groin pain and stiffness
• Hand osteoarthritis: finger tips, middle joints and thumb base
• Spine (spondylosis): neck and lower back, including facet joints
• Foot and ankle: especially the big toe base

By pattern

• Localised: one or a few joints
• Generalised: three or more joint groups, more often in women after menopause

Ayurvedic view

Classical texts describe Sandhigata Vata as the main joint condition. Related terms include Vatarakta and Amavata, which are different conditions. Amavata is closer to inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis and needs a proper diagnosis. This is an interpretive framework.

See a doctor if several joints are swollen and stiff for over an hour each morning. That pattern suggests inflammatory arthritis rather than osteoarthritis.

When to get help

Book a visit with your doctor or an orthopaedic or rheumatology clinic if joint pain keeps returning, limits walking, stairs or sleep, or if you are unsure which treatments are safe with your other medicines. Early advice often avoids unnecessary scans, tablets and bed rest, and lets you start the right exercise plan sooner.

Remember

The type decides the plan. A clinical exam and, where needed, X-rays or blood tests confirm it.