Which stiffness pattern is commonly associated with OA/DDD?

Which stiffness pattern is commonly associated with OA/DDD?

• A. Severe constant pain not relieved by activity.
• B. Mild morning stiffness that improves with activity but returns at the end of day.
• C. No stiffness at all.
• D. Stiffness only at night.

Answer: (B)

OA/DDD causes a mechanical pattern of stiffness. You typically have mild morning stiffness that lasts a short time and improves quickly with gentle movement; as the day goes on and the joints are used, stiffness and discomfort can recur, giving a pattern of stiffness that returns later in the day. This reflects cartilage and joint surface wear with activity rather than ongoing inflammation. By contrast, severe constant pain not relieved by activity suggests non-mechanical or inflammatory processes, no stiffness is unusual for OA, and stiffness that occurs only at night points more toward inflammatory conditions rather than degenerative joint disease.

OA/DDD causes a mechanical pattern of stiffness. You typically have mild morning stiffness that lasts a short time and improves quickly with gentle movement; as the day goes on and the joints are used, stiffness and discomfort can recur, giving a pattern of stiffness that returns later in the day. This reflects cartilage and joint surface wear with activity rather than ongoing inflammation. By contrast, severe constant pain not relieved by activity suggests non-mechanical or inflammatory processes, no stiffness is unusual for OA, and stiffness that occurs only at night points more toward inflammatory conditions rather than degenerative joint disease.