People of different ages, especially after 40-50 years, often have problems with their joints, but without the help of a specialist it is difficult to determine which disease is developing. Common diseases are arthritis and osteoarthritis. What is the difference, how to treat, how to prevent joint pathologies?
Advice from specialists on the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system will be useful to many. Understanding how to recognize arthritis and osteoarthritis is important for successful treatment.
General signs
Joint pathologies have a common root in the name. Translated from the Greek "arthron" means "joint".
Osteoarthritis and arthritis are joint damage. The pathological process is accompanied by discomfort, pain, damage to the cartilage tissue, the mobility of the problem area is limited. Arthritis and osteoarthritis disrupt the usual course of life of the patient.
When differentiating diseases, it is important to take into account all the signs, conduct the necessary studies and analyzes.
Joint pathologies have many differences, incorrect diagnosis reduces the quality of treatment.
Basic information about joint pathologies
It is important to understand not only the similar and distinctive signs of arthrosis and arthritis, but also the causes, types and features of the course of joint pathologies. Understanding the provoking factors, under the influence of which negative processes in the cartilage tissue begin, will help to prevent diseases.
| Arthritis | osteoarthritis | |
|---|---|---|
| The reasons | Inflammation on the background of systemic pathology or infection of the joint tissue | Destruction of cartilage during tissue wear, more often in old age. Inadequate metabolism leads to loss of elasticity, changes in the structure of cartilage, abrasion, partial or complete destruction of cartilage tissue. |
| Provoking factors | Infectious diseases, allergies, injuries, hypothermia, disturbances in metabolic processes, heredity, stress, vitamin deficiency | Aging of the body, excess weight, injuries, malnutrition, autoimmune pathologies, deterioration of blood supply to cartilage and bone tissue, inflammatory processes in the body, dysfunction of the thyroid gland, excessive stress on the joint, hypothermia, hereditary predisposition |
| Types of pathology | monoarthritis, polyarthritis | Primary (cartilage damage with lack of nutrients, poor blood circulation). Secondary - the disease develops in the affected joint, more often after injury |
| Forms of the disease | Purulent, rheumatoid, juvenile, gouty | Four stages: from a slight narrowing of the line space to a noticeable deformation with complete closure of the line space |
| Complications | Prolonged presence of an infectious agent in the joints and other organs adversely affects health, reduces immunity. The mobility of the limb is impaired, during periods of exacerbations the tissues swell, hurt, it is difficult to perform many familiar movements | In the absence of treatment: complete destruction of the joints, immobilization of the limb, negative changes in the intervertebral discs |
| Provide | With timely treatment, elimination of the inflammatory process, many types of arthritis can be completely cured. | The disease is difficult to treat, in most cases it becomes chronic. Arthrosis is an irreversible process, it is impossible to 100% restore the quality of cartilage tissue. Competent therapy improves the condition of the cartilage, maintains the functionality of the limbs, but if some rules are violated, the disease progresses |
What is the Difference Between Arthritis and Osteoarthritis
Joint pathologies show more differences than similar signs. It is easy to distinguish arthritis from osteoarthritis by knowing the etiology of the disease.
Information for patients:
- arthritis develops against the background of an inflammatory process in the joint, arthrosis is a consequence of degenerative processes, degenerative changes in cartilage tissue;
- both pathologies have an acute and chronic form, but arthritis occurs with more pronounced symptoms, inflammation actively spreads not only to the joint, but also to other areas;
- osteoarthritis is a protracted disease, remission is longer, cartilage is gradually destroyed without severe tissue inflammation.
The table describes the differences in joint pathologies according to the main characteristics:
| Arthritis | osteoarthritis | |
|---|---|---|
| Cause of pathological changes | Infection that causes acute and chronic inflammation | Degenerative-dystrophic changes, progressive destruction of cartilage tissue. The main reason is the negative processes against the background of the aging of the body. |
| The nature of pathology | More acute than osteoarthritis, remission alternates with active inflammation | Prolonged, more often, slow, with periods of exacerbation |
| affected area | The infection spreads far beyond the joint area. Monoarthritis develops (in one joint), polyarthritis (several areas are affected, e. g. polyarthritis of the fingers) | Joint tissue in an area, for example, osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Other organs are not involved in the destructive process |
| Location area | Small joints: wrist, fingers, hands, ankle. The knee area is also at risk | Large joints: hip, knee, big toes, less often, phalanges of fingers and ankle |
| Patient age | More often - up to 40 years | The main category is people aged 45 and over, more often aged 55 to 60 |
| Risk group | Young men. The development of the disease is associated with dangerous bacterial and viral infections, injuries to the limbs. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed in children and adolescents | Women after 45-50 years. Degenerative processes develop against the background of menopause. In men, dystrophic changes in the cartilage often develop against the background of a high load on the joints during life with the difficult nature of the work associated with lifting weights, monotonous movements. |
How to distinguish by symptoms
It is easier to recognize the onset of the disease with an infectious type of pathological changes.
Arthrosis often does not manifest itself for a long time, often patients come to the doctor with a moderate second stage of the disease.
Pay attention to the main signs of joint pathologies. Even slight discomfort in the joints should raise suspicion of the development of negative processes in the cartilage tissue.
Correct and timely diagnosis helps both to distinguish arthritis from arthrosis and to prescribe the correct treatment.
Arthritis Symptoms:
- swelling or severe swelling of the problem area;
- the skin in the affected area turns red;
- the diseased joint becomes inflamed;
- the affected area is hot to the touch, with active inflammation, ingress of a dangerous pathogen, the general temperature rises;
- when moving, sharp pain is heard, at rest, pulsation, "twitching", pain in the area of inflammation does not go away;
- often the infection affects other parts of the body, the state of health deteriorates, weakness develops, chronic pathologies become more active;
- negative processes often develop in the fingers, hands, ankle, less often in the knees.
Osteoarthritis symptoms:
- undulating nature of pain. At an early stage, the pain is weak, the intensity does not increase for a long time;
- gradually the pain increases, in the morning stiffness in the problematic joints is heard;
- as dystrophic changes develop, the mobility of the affected area decreases; in advanced cases, complete immobility is possible due to cartilage destruction;
- the main places of localization are the hip joints (coxarthrosis), the spine (spondylarthrosis), the knees (gonarthrosis).
The main methods of treating diseases
Patients often believe that the "tested" recipe for arthritis, offered by a neighbor, will definitely help with osteoarthritis. Ignorance of the nature of the disease often harms the joints, worsens the condition of the body.
For example, in arthritis there is an active inflammatory process, the infection spreads to a large tissue area. Warming up is strictly prohibited, but often arthritis sufferers warm up their sore knees in hopes of healing. The result is quite the opposite: the heat accelerates the development of the inflammatory process, the infection penetrates with the blood and lymph flow into new parts of the joints, other organs, the disease progresses.
The main differences in the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis are related to the nature of the pathological processes. The treatment regimen, the use of drugs, folk methods, a complex of exercise therapy, physiotherapy is developed by a rheumatologist, orthopedist or arthrologist. In advanced stages of arthrosis (less often, with arthritis), the help of an orthopedic surgeon is necessary.
Information for patients! With arthrosis, warm bandages are effective, cold compresses are recommended to relieve arthritis inflammation.
Osteoarthritis treatment
Basic principles:
- the main task is to normalize the condition of the cartilage tissue. The doctor prescribes chondroprotectors with hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine. Long treatment improves the elasticity of cartilage tissue, restores blood circulation, metabolism, stops degenerative-dystrophic processes;
- in severe cases, drugs from the group of NSAIDs are needed to relieve pain, eliminate inflammation that has developed during abrasion of the joint tissue. But as the main tool in the treatment of arthrosis, they are ineffective;
- physiotherapeutic procedures, special exercises are useful;
- patients successfully apply traditional methods. Homemade ointments, decoctions, compresses, baths, tinctures are made from natural ingredients. Proper use of compounds relieves pain, improves joint mobility;
- with complete destruction of cartilage tissue, surgical treatment is performed - arthroplasty. Arthrosis cannot be completely cured, you can only maintain joint health, prevent exacerbations.
arthritis therapy
Basic principles:
- the first stage is the fight against pathogenic bacteria, dangerous viruses, under the influence of which the inflammatory process began. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are necessary;
- it is important not only to destroy the causative agent of infection, but also to strengthen the immune system;
- recommended protein diet, vitamin therapy, dairy products. It is mandatory to refuse alcohol, strong coffee, sweet carbonated drinks, black tea (preferably green);
- physiotherapy gives an excellent effect: electrophoresis with anti-inflammatories, magnetic and laser therapy, therapeutic baths. After stopping the inflammatory process, the complex of exercise therapy, massage will help restore the mobility of the diseased joint. Useful folk methods without the use of heat.
There is a significant difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis. Knowledge of the features of joint diseases will help the patient to control the course of the pathological process, to competently use all available treatment methods. Under the guidance of an experienced doctor, you can cope with any joint pathology.