Causes

• Osteoarthritis develops over time, as the cartilage between your bones deteriorates, eventually leaving bone rubbing against bone. Osteoporosis also develops slowly, resulting from the gradual degeneration of the bones themselves.
  
  

Symptoms

• Symptoms of osteoarthritis appear slowly, getting worse as time passes. They include joint pain, stiffness and loss of flexibility. Osteoporosis may exhibit no symptoms in the early stages, but later may include back pain, a loss of height and more frequent bone fractures.
  
  

Diagnosis

• To diagnose osteoarthritis or osteoporosis, various imaging tests may be conducted such as x-rays, CT, MRI scans or ultrasounds. Blood and joint fluid tests may also be performed to check for osteoarthritis.
  
  

Treatment

• There is no cure for either condition, so treatment usually involves managing symptoms and preventing progression. Medications such as acetaminophen and anti-inflammatory drugs are helpful to reduce the pain and swelling of osteoarthritis, while prescription drugs designed to reduce additional bone loss,such as calcitonin and raloxifene, may help those with osteoporosis.
  
  

Risk Factors

• A risk factor of both conditions include being a woman and over the age of 40. Obesity and joint injuries also increase your chances of developing osetoarthritis, while tobacco use, family history and hyperthyroidism are risk factors for osteoporosis.