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.
Pain and stiffness in the joints not only significantly reduce the quality of life, but also often lead to serious consequences: deformations and disability.It is not surprising that patients often have no idea what arthritis and osteoarthritis are.After all, it is much more important for them to know how to get rid of the disease.
Various symptoms
Osteoarthritis can be distinguished 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 joint elements are involved in the pathological process: capsule, synovial membrane, cartilaginous tissue.
Characteristic signs of arthritis of any etiology are as follows:
- redness, swelling and severe pain when touched;
- pain does not decrease at rest;
- the pain syndrome is throbbing, aching, or sharp in nature;
- the joint is warm to the touch;
- stiffness in the morning, which disappears after half an hour - an hour;
- symptoms of general intoxication – fever, malaise, weakness, sweating, etc.
In arthrosis, only the cartilaginous tissue is affected: due to the loss of fluids 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 breaks down and its individual fragments, debris, are deposited on the epiphyses of the bones.
Unlike arthritis, osteoarthritis does not cause an inflammatory response over a long period of time.Swelling and redness may only occur in the final stages, when bony growths or a fluid-filled joint cavity put pressure on surrounding structures.
A characteristic symptom of arthrosis is initial pain, which occurs in the morning or after a long rest.Daytime physical activity, especially intense physical activity, is always accompanied by pain, which disappears with rest.For example, arthrosis of the knee joint is felt when walking, running or squatting.However, in the morning these movements help relieve stiffness.
The difference between arthritis and arthrosis is also the duration of morning stiffness: with the destruction of cartilage and bone tissue, it disappears in a few minutes.With arthritis, stiffness can last more than an hour because a large amount of fluid (exudate) builds up in the joint cavity overnight.However, this difference can be considered conditional, since advanced forms of arthrosis are also characterized by long-term stiffness.
With osteoarthritis of the foot or toes, a person has difficulty taking the first morning steps 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 arthrosis is not only in the symptoms, but also in the causes.Furthermore, each of these diseases has its own therapeutic characteristics.
Various reasons
In more than half of cases, arthrosis develops after an injury, not necessarily a serious one.Constant microtraumas accompanying the professional activities of athletes, builders and other representatives of physical labor have a much worse effect on the joint.
Chronic injuries that occur regularly remain, as a rule, unnoticed, and various damages "accumulate" in the joint.The cartilage gradually becomes thinner and breaks down, the joint capsule breaks down, and microfractures of the bone tissue occur.As a result, the bones are deformed and favorable conditions are created for the development of arthrosis.
It is also worth noting that car accidents are becoming more and more frequent, in which people of all ages are injured.Severe multiple 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 characteristics of metabolism and skeletal structure.But even in this case there is no guarantee that osteoarthritis will be transmitted 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, cartilage tissue can resist pressure.And in older age, when the elasticity of the cartilage decreases, excess weight can accelerate the wear of the cartilage.
Arthritis can also cause degeneration of cartilaginous structures, as inflammation of the joint changes the composition of synovial fluid and cartilage tissue.And since arthritis almost always disrupts local blood circulation, the development of secondary arthrosis is possible.It does not matter whether the arthritis is cured or not.
Prolonged psycho-emotional stress, oddly enough, does not have the best effect on joint health.Due to the strong 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 the synovial fluid and is responsible for its viscosity.Thanks to hyaluronic acid, bones slip even with significant damage to the joint structure.
It is worth noting that in most cases the reason for the onset of arthrosis is not enough.Typically, 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;
- a malfunction of the immune system when leukocytes begin to attack the body's cells;
- injuries and excessive stress on the joints - for example, masseurs 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;
- inheritance;
- metabolic disorders;
- intoxication by toxic substances, bites of poisonous insects;
- severe or prolonged hypothermia of the body;
- alcohol abuse;
- unbalanced diet, lack of vitamins and minerals.
Regardless of the reason that caused the damage to the joint, the balance between the destructive and reparative processes is disrupted.That is, an excessive number of damaged, dead cells are created which do not have time to be used.And new functional cells are not enough to replace dead ones.As a result, the joint does not function properly.
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.
With arthritis, the synovial membrane becomes inflamed and the quality of joint fluid changes.There are also damaged cells there.The response to their excess is the swelling of the capsule itself and the surrounding tissues.
The difference between arthrosis is that the damaged cells are concentrated in the cartilage, where another protective mechanism is activated: 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 has no elasticity.
Because joint dysfunction occurs for various reasons and can be associated with hormonal, metabolic, and mechanical factors, understanding these causes is important.It largely depends on them what treatment arthritis or arthrosis requires.
Treatment differences
There is a certain treatment regimen for arthritis and arthrosis.Arthritis therapy is aimed at stopping the inflammatory process;the goal of osteoarthritis treatment is to restore cartilage 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 intense pain, intra-articular blocks are performed with anesthetics and glucocorticosteroids.Therapy can be supplemented with local agents: ointments and gels.
The main method of treating arthrosis is taking chondroprotectors, drugs based on substances that promote the regeneration of cartilage 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 from pain.
If necessary, vasodilators to improve blood circulation and muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasms may be prescribed.
Physical therapy is of great importance for osteoarthritis.With the help of exercises you can achieve good results, namely:
- relieve tension and increase tone of weakened muscles;
- reduce the intensity of pain;
- increase joint space and improve joint mobility;
- improve blood circulation and metabolic processes in the affected tissues.
Treatment tactics for arthritis depend on its origin.For allergic, infectious and gouty forms, antihistamines, antibacterial drugs 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 drugs and biologics containing bacteriophages.
For arthritis of any type, vitamin complexes containing B vitamins are prescribed.
In more serious cases, surgery is performed, which can be of different 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 surgery is an unfavorable prognosis due to the complete destruction of the cartilaginous tissue.
Conclusions
Therefore, arthritis can be distinguished from arthrosis by the characteristic signs that accompany these diseases.It is important to know that arthrosis most often affects the hip and knee, a little less frequently the ankle and interphalangeal joints.
In most cases, arthritis can be recognized by symmetrical damage to the joints: if the right wrist joint becomes inflamed, then the corresponding joint of the left hand almost immediately begins to bother.
However, it should be remembered that it is impossible to diagnose on your own, since similar symptoms can be observed with other pathologies: tendinitis, synovitis, bursitis and a number of others.Therefore, in case of discomfort and pain in the joints, it is necessary to undergo a diagnosis to find out the cause.
The early stages of osteoarthritis are quite treatable;in advanced cases, restoration of joint function is only possible 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.Elimination of the allergen in the allergic form of the disease also ensures recovery.
The main factor influencing a favorable prognosis is early diagnosis and immediate treatment of the disease.Be healthy!