Both arthritis and arthrosis affect the joints, and since it is joint pain that forces the patient to go to the doctor in the hope of getting relief, he sees no difference between these diseases.Arthritis, arthrosis - why these subtleties?Prescribe some pills, let the pain go away!
But there is a difference and it is often very important for further treatment: arthritis and arthrosis differ in the nature of the disease and the causes of the disease.
To better understand this difference, rememberhow the joint works.
In a typical case, the joint is made up of two bones, the heads of which are covered with a special sliding material - hyaline cartilage.It makes it easier for the bones to rub against each other.Synovial fluid works for the same task: the bones are not very close to each other, there is a small space between them, which is filled precisely by this fluid.The synovial fluid and the place of contact of the bones that make up the joint are isolated from other organs and tissues by the joint capsule, made up of dense connective tissue.
In arthritis, it is the cartilage that becomes inflamed;with arthrosis, intra-articular cartilage suffers.
What is arthritis
Arthritis is a collective nameinflammatoryjoint diseases.In arthritis, the articular lining of the joint becomes inflamed and the body's connective tissues are affected.Arthritis can be caused by immune disorders, infections or injuries.As a rule, it is accompanied by pain, swelling, redness and limited joint mobility.Arthritis is characterized by “flying” joint pain – it bothers one joint, then another.Arthritis can develop at any age, even in teenagers (so-called juvenile arthritis).Advanced arthritis can be complicated by wear and tear of the intra-articular cartilage (arthrosis).
What is osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a chronic diseasedegenerativea joint disease characterized by progressive wear of cartilaginous tissue.It can occur in any joint, but the knees, hips, shoulders and wrists are most commonly affected, as they are the joints that face the most stress.Osteoarthritis causes pain, stiffness and deterioration in joint mobility;the pain always affects the same joint or the same group of joints.Osteoarthritis is typical of elderly patients, although the first signs of the disease can be found in the thirties.
Thus, the main difference between arthritis and arthrosis lies in the causes of their occurrence and manifestations.Arthritis is associated with inflammation of the joints, while osteoarthritis is associated with degeneration and wear of cartilage tissue.It is important to note that although these two conditions have different development mechanisms, they are interrelated, since inflammatory processes can contribute to the degradation of intra-articular cartilage, that is, osteoarthritis, and the wear of hyaline cartilage can trigger secondary inflammation in the joint.
Causes of arthritis and arthrosis
Reasonsarthritiscan become:
- Rheumatic diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, etc.).
- Reaction to a triggering pathogen (usually bacteria that cause intestinal or sexually transmitted diseases): the body cannot stop in time and, although the infection has already been defeated, the immune system continues to attack, now affecting its own joint tissue.
- Entry of pathogens into the joint cavity due to injury or through the flow of lymph and blood.
- Entry of capillary blood into the joint cavity due to injury.
- Osteoarthritis (joint inflammation as a complication).
Reasonsarthrosiscan become:
- Excess weight, which increases stress on the leg joints.
- Heavy physical work.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Joint instability due to ligament and tendon injuries.
- Old age.
- Surgery that affects the joint.
- Congenital features of the body.
- Arthritis (hyaline cartilage begins to deteriorate due to inflammatory processes in the joint).
Often, osteoarthritis is not caused by one reason, but by a combination of them.
Clinical signs of arthritis and arthrosis
Joint pain with osteoarthritis and arthritis is different.
Acute arthritis is characterized by:
- Significant redness of the skin around the affected joint.
- Intense swelling in the affected area.
- The joint hurts both during movement and at rest.
- Prolonged morning stiffness (about an hour).
- General health problems: weakness, poor performance, body aches, sweating and sometimes fever.
Osteoarthritis is characterized by:
- Joint pain especially during movement.
- Difficulty carrying out normal activities (for example, with knee osteoarthritis, it is painful to climb stairs).
- Relatively short morning stiffness (up to half an hour).
- Initial pain: when the patient goes from rest to activity, the joint is uncomfortable for some time, but it passes quickly.
- Strange sounds (clicks, creaks, crunches) in the later stages of the disease./li>
- Narrowing of the joint space and/or bone deformation, which can be noticed when palpating the joint (in the more advanced stages of the disease, the deformation is simply visible to the naked eye).
- Swelling of the diseased joint, if the patient has suffered from arthrosis for a long time and has developed secondary inflammation.
X-rays will help to definitively determine the diagnosis.In arthritis there will be no pathological changes in the image, but in arthrosis it is possible to observe a decrease in the height of the joint space or even bone growths.
Treatment of arthritis and arthrosis
Arthritis therapywill vary depending on the type of disease and the causes that caused it.This may include:
- antibiotics;
- immunomodulatory drugs;
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs);
- corticosteroids (if NSAIDs are not effective enough).
When inflammation can be relieved, physiotherapy is also used to maintain joint function and physiotherapy, incl.exposure to magnetic fields.
Osteoarthritis treatmentit is also comprehensive and includes medicated and non-medicated methods.
The most commonly used medications are NSAIDs, generally in the form of gels and ointments.
Among non-medicinal methods for arthrosis, exercise therapy, massage and magnetic therapy are recommended.
Natural exposure to magnetic fields with parameters specially selected for arthrosis allows:
- relieve pain, secondary inflammation and swelling;
- improve the nutrition of the diseased joint and thereby slow down the development of the disease;
- prolong periods without exacerbations.
Things to remember:
- The difference between arthritis and arthrosis lies in the causes of their occurrence and manifestations.Arthritis is associated with inflammation of the joints, while osteoarthritis is associated with degeneration and wear of cartilage tissue.Arthritis and osteoarthritis are interrelated, as inflammatory processes can contribute to the degradation of intra-articular cartilage, and the wear of hyaline cartilage can trigger secondary inflammation in the joint.
- Acute arthritis is characterized by swelling and redness of the skin around the affected joint, pain during movement and at rest, prolonged morning stiffness, and poor general health of the patient.Osteoarthritis is characterized by joint pain during movement, difficulty carrying out normal activities, short-term morning stiffness and initial pain;swelling of the joint is possible (with the development of secondary inflammation).Furthermore, in arthritis there will be no pathological changes on the radiographic image, but in arthrosis there will be a decrease in the height of the joint space.
- Treatment of arthritis and arthrosis should be comprehensive.Depending on the cause of your arthritis, your doctor may recommend antibiotics, immunomodulatory medications, NSAIDs, or corticosteroids.When inflammation is relieved, exercise therapy and magnetic therapy are added.For arthrosis, NSAIDs, exercise therapy, massage and magnetic therapy are used.