In recent decades, there has been an increase in the number of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, as evidenced by statistical data.Pathologies of the spine and joints occupy an “honorable” third place, after diseases of the circulatory and respiratory systems.
Joint pain and stiffness not only significantly reduce the quality of life, but also often lead to serious consequences - deformation and disability.It is not surprising that patients often have no idea what arthritis and arthrosis are.After all, it is much more important for them to know how to get rid of the disease.
Various symptoms
Osteoarthritis can be differentiated from arthritis by the symptoms present, as these diseases manifest themselves in different ways.Arthritis is a group of inflammatory lesions of the joints, in which all articular elements are involved in the pathological process - capsule, synovial membrane, cartilaginous tissue.
The characteristic signs of arthritis of any etiology are as follows:
- redness, swelling and intense pain when touched;
- the pain does not subside at rest;
- the pain syndrome is pulsating, aching or sharp in nature;
- the joint is hot to the touch;
- stiffness in the morning, which disappears after half an hour - an hour;
- symptoms of general intoxication – fever, malaise, weakness, sweating, etc.
With osteoarthritis, only the cartilaginous tissue is affected: due to the loss of fluid, it becomes loose and thin.As a result, the bones of the joint rub against each other, aggravating the pathological process.As the disease progresses, the cartilaginous tissue cracks and its individual fragments, debris, are deposited in the epiphyses of the bones.
Unlike arthritis, osteoarthritis does not cause an inflammatory response over a long period of time.Swelling and redness may occur only in the final stages, when bony protuberances or a fluid-filled joint cavity put pressure on surrounding structures.
A characteristic symptom of osteoarthritis is initial pain, which occurs in the morning or after a long rest.Daytime physical activity, especially strong ones, is always accompanied by pain, which subsides at rest.For example, arthrosis of the knee joint makes itself felt when walking, running or squatting.However, in the morning these movements help to relieve stiffness.
The difference between arthritis and arthrosis also lies in the duration of morning stiffness - with the destruction of cartilage and bone tissue, it disappears within a few minutes.In arthritis, stiffness may last more than an hour because a large amount of fluid (exudate) accumulates in the joint cavity overnight.However, this difference can be considered conditional, since advanced forms of arthrosis are also characterized by prolonged stiffness.
With osteoarthritis of the foot or toes, the person has difficulty taking the first steps in the morning when getting out of bed.Due to the shift of the center of gravity to the heel or toe, the gait gradually changes and lameness appears.
The difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis is not only in the symptoms, but also in the causes.Furthermore, each of these diseases has its own treatment characteristics.
Various reasons
In more than half of cases, osteoarthritis develops after an injury, and it is not necessarily serious.Constant microtraumas that accompany the professional activities of athletes, builders and other representatives of physical work have a much worse effect on the joint.
Chronic injuries that occur regularly go unnoticed, as a rule, and various damages “accumulate” in the joint.The cartilage gradually becomes thinner and cracks, the joint capsule is ruptured and microfractures of the bone tissue occur.As a result, the bones become deformed and favorable conditions are created for the development of arthrosis.
It is also important to highlight that car accidents are increasingly common, in which people of all ages are injured.Multiple severe fractures with bone fragmentation are often complicated by arthrosis and sometimes complete immobility of the joints.
Another cause of arthrosis is considered to be genetic predisposition - hereditary features of metabolism and skeletal structure.But even in this case, there is no guarantee that arthrosis will be passed on from generation to generation.However, the risk of getting sick still increases.
Since excessive body weight creates excessive stress on the entire musculoskeletal system, all joint elements suffer.In a young person, cartilaginous tissue can withstand pressure.And in old age, when cartilage elasticity decreases, excess weight can accelerate cartilage wear.
Arthritis can also cause degeneration of cartilaginous structures, as joint inflammation changes the composition of synovial fluid and cartilaginous tissue.And since arthritis almost always disrupts local blood circulation, the development of secondary arthrosis is possible.It doesn't matter if the arthritis is cured or not.
Prolonged psycho-emotional stress, oddly enough, does not have the best effect on joint health.Due to the sharp release of stress hormones (steroids), the permeability of blood vessels decreases and the blood supply to the joints deteriorates.This leads to a decrease in the synthesis of hyaluronic acid, which is part of synovial fluid and is responsible for its viscosity.Thanks to hyaluronic acid, bones slide even with significant damage to the joint structure.
It is important to emphasize that, in most cases, one reason for the appearance of osteoarthritis is not enough.Normally, the mechanism of cartilage degeneration is triggered by a combination of several factors.
Arthritis and arthrosis have fundamentally different origins.Arthritis can be caused by:
- infection;
- malfunction of the immune system when leukocytes begin to attack the body's own cells;
- injuries and excessive stress on the joints - for example, massage therapists often develop arthritis in the hands, the weak point of weightlifters is the knees, damage to the shoulder joint occurs in boxers and tennis players;
- congenital skeletal anomalies;
- pathologies of the nervous and endocrine systems, as well as hormonal imbalances during menopause;
- allergic reactions;
- heredity;
- metabolic disorders;
- poisoning with toxic substances, poisonous insect bites;
- severe or prolonged body hypothermia;
- alcohol abuse;
- unbalanced diet, lack of vitamins and minerals.
Regardless of the reason that caused the damage to the joint, the balance between destructive and restorative processes is disturbed.In other words, an excessive number of dead and damaged cells are created that do not have time to be used.And new functional cells are not enough to replace the dead ones.As a result, the joint works poorly.
If both diseases affect the same element - the joint, what is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis?And why are the symptoms so different?The answer to these questions lies in which structures are affected by the pathological process.
In arthritis, the synovial membrane becomes inflamed and the quality of joint fluid changes.There are also damaged cells.The response to its excess is the swelling of the capsule itself and nearby tissues.
The difference between osteoarthritis is that the damaged cells are concentrated in the cartilage, where another protective mechanism is triggered - the cells that have lost functionality are replaced by connective tissue with the formation of scars.Furthermore, the new scar tissue is not able to perform a shock-absorbing function and does not have elasticity.
As joint dysfunction occurs for a variety of reasons and can be associated with hormonal, metabolic and mechanical factors, understanding these causes is an important aspect.The treatment that arthritis or osteoarthritis requires depends largely on them.
Differences in treatment
There is a certain treatment regimen for arthritis and arthrosis.Arthritis therapy aims to stop the inflammatory process;The objective of osteoarthritis treatment is to restore cartilaginous tissue.This is another difference between these two diseases.The only similarity is that in both cases painkillers are used.
Self-medication, in this case, will not bring success and may worsen the situation.Even an experienced specialist will not always determine by external signs how arthritis differs from arthrosis of the knee joint.Only after receiving the research results is an accurate diagnosis made.
For the treatment of arthrosis in the acute period, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used in a short course.In case of severe pain, intra-articular blocks are performed with anesthetic and glucocorticosteroid.Therapy can be supplemented with local agents - ointments and gels.
The main method of treating arthrosis is the use of chondroprotectors - medicines based on substances that promote the regeneration of cartilaginous tissue and inhibit the development of the degenerative process.The most effective is the introduction of hyaluronic acid into the joint cavity - with the help of several injections it is possible to restore the mobility of the joint and relieve the patient's pain.
If necessary, vasodilators may be prescribed to improve blood circulation and muscle relaxants may be prescribed to relieve muscle spasms.
Physiotherapy is of great importance for osteoarthritis.With the help of exercises you can achieve good results, namely:
- relieve tension and increase the tone of weakened muscles;
- reduce pain intensity;
- increase joint space and improve joint mobility;
- improve blood circulation and metabolic processes in affected tissues.
Therapeutic tactics for arthritis depend on its origin.In allergic, infectious and gouty forms, antihistamines, antibacterials and agents to eliminate excess uric acid are prescribed.In most cases, symptomatic therapy is carried out using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hormones.
Therapy for rheumatoid arthritis includes basic medicines and biological medicines containing bacteriophages.
For arthritis of any type, vitamin complexes containing B vitamins are prescribed.
In severe cases, surgical intervention is performed, which can be of several types:
- synovectomy;
- arthrotomy;
- joint resection;
- cheilectomy;
- arthrodesis;
- arthroscopy.
The presence of destructive changes in the joint may require endoprosthesis or reconstructive arthroplasty.The indication for this type of operation is a poor prognosis due to the complete destruction of cartilaginous tissue.
Conclusions
Thus, arthritis can be differentiated from arthrosis by the characteristic signs that accompany these diseases.It is important to know that osteoarthritis most often affects the hip and knee and, less frequently, the ankle and interphalangeal joints.
In most cases, arthritis can be recognized by symmetrical damage to the joints: if the joint in the right wrist becomes inflamed, the corresponding joint in the left hand begins to bother almost immediately.
However, it should be remembered that it is impossible to make the diagnosis on your own, since similar symptoms can be observed in other pathologies - tendonitis, synovitis, bursitis and a number of others.Therefore, in case of discomfort and pain in the joints, it is necessary to carry out a diagnosis to find out its cause.
The initial stages of osteoarthritis are quite treatable;in advanced cases, restoration of joint function is possible only through surgery.In arthritis, the prognosis depends not only on the type of disease, but also on the quality of the treatment provided.Timely treatment of post-traumatic arthritis leads to complete recovery in most patients.Eliminating the allergen in the allergic form of the disease also ensures recovery.
The main factor influencing a favorable prognosis is early detection and prompt treatment of the disease.Be healthy!