Okay this is the bottom line from what I understand go to discussions I had with my Dr and you have no ideas how I know all these guys as far as asking a lot of questions the chief orthopedic surgeon told me that osteoarthritis has little to no effect to rheumatoid arthritis. But rumatory arthritis can play havoc anywhere it wants to U-joint your bloodstream your heart your mind your brain the back your sciatic nerve anywhere it wants it could play Havoc in osteoarthritis is limited to the joints. And that's how this reporter understands it from one of them orthopedic surgeon general's his name was dr. Herscovici.

I'm not a doctor, but have been on this road over 20 years. I've had numerous tendons damages by RA, especially in my hands, but also in my feet. I believe your podiatrist may be mistaken. The shifting of bones and tendons in hands and feet is classic RA. My original RA diagnosis was first picked up by a podiatrist when I needed a bunion repair. He happened to look at my hands. Sent me to Rheumatologist before he would do the operation.

Wow! A lot of good answers here. I tend to agree with them all. I too have both, also. I've known I had arthritis but just found out I had RD this last October. Symptoms go back a ways. Just could get my doctor to believe me because my factors came back negative. I finally cried loud enough & asked her to refer me to a specialist. Sometimes you have to do that to get them to listen to you. So if you need to, cry loud.
I pray you find answers & get relief.

I cannot offer you a scientific answer how-ever, one of the first signs I experienced from having RA was from my feet, shifting bones, swollen feet, sore, painful and warm to the touch, not certain about the OA though. I tend to think that they do work off of each other though, double trouble.

Like was previously said the RA goes anywhere it wants. It is the big dog on the block. It attacks nerves tendons joints bones the heart the feet the brain the everywhere in the body! OA is only in joints. There are joints in the spine. Whether they dance together or not; they can both be in the same place because RA goes everywhere. Which to me makes them a tag team. They also tag with Fibromyalgia!