People of different ages, especially after 40-50 years, often have joint problems, 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. It is important to understand how to recognize arthritis and osteoarthritis for treatment to be successful.
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. Both arthritis and osteoarthritis disrupt the patient's normal course of life.
When differentiating diseases, it is important to take into account all the signs, conduct the necessary studies and analyzes.
Joint pathologies have many differences, an incorrect diagnosis reduces the quality of treatment.
Basic information on joint pathologies
It is important to understand not only the similar and distinctive signs of osteoarthritis and arthritis, but also the causes, types and characteristics of the course of joint pathologies. Understanding the provoking factors, under the influence of which negative processes in the cartilage tissue begin, will help prevent diseases.
| Arthritis | arthrosis | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. Improper metabolism causes loss of elasticity, changes in the structure of the cartilage, abrasion, partial or complete destruction of cartilage tissue. |
| Provocative factors | Infectious diseases, allergies, injuries, hypothermia, disruption of metabolic processes, heredity, stress, vitamin deficiency | Aging of the body, excess weight, injuries, malnutrition, autoimmune diseases, deterioration of the blood supply to cartilage and bone tissue, inflammatory processes in the body, malfunction of the thyroid gland, excessive stress on the joint, hypothermia, hereditary predisposition |
| Types of pathology | monoarthritis, polyarthritis | Primary (damage to cartilage with lack of nutrients, poor blood circulation). Secondary - the disease develops in the affected joint, most often after injury |
| Forms of the disease | Purulent, rheumatoid, juvenile, gouty | Four stages: from a slight narrowing of the joint space to a noticeable deformity with complete closure of the joint space |
| Complications | Prolonged presence of an infectious agent in the joints and other organs undermines health, reduces immunity. The mobility of the limb is impaired, during periods of exacerbation, 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 |
| Forecast | With timely treatment, the elimination of the inflammatory process, many types of arthritis can be completely cured. | The disease is difficult to cure, in most cases it becomes chronic. Osteoarthritis is an irreversible process, it is impossible to restore the quality of cartilage tissue by 100%. Competent therapy improves the condition of the cartilage, maintains the functionality of the limbs, but if certain rules are violated, the disease progresses |
What is the Difference Between Arthritis and Osteoarthritis
Joint pathologies have more differences than similar signs. It is easy to distinguish arthritis from osteoarthritis with knowledge of the etiology of the disease.
Information for patients:
- arthritis develops against the background of an inflammatory process in the joint, osteoarthritis is a consequence of degenerative processes, degenerative changes in cartilage tissue;
- both pathologies have an acute and chronic form, but arthritis is manifested by more pronounced symptoms, inflammation actively spreads not only to the joint, but also to other areas;
- arthrosis is a prolonged 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 | arthrosis | |
|---|---|---|
| Cause of pathological changes | Infection that causes acute and chronic inflammation | Degenerative-dystrophic changes, gradual destruction of cartilage tissue. The main reason is the negative processes against the background of aging of the body. |
| The nature of the 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 a joint), polyarthritis (several areas are affected, for example, polyarthritis of the fingers) | Joint tissue in one area, for example, osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Other organs are not involved in the destructive process |
| Localization area | Smaller joints: wrist, fingers, hands, ankle. The knee area is also at risk | Large joints: hip, knee, big toes, less often, phalanges of the fingers and ankle |
| Age of patients | More often - up to 40 years | The main category is made up of people aged 45 and over, most often between the ages of 55 and 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 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 based on symptoms
It is easier to recognize the onset of the disease with an infectious type of pathological changes.
Osteoarthritis often does not manifest itself for a long time, patients often 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 osteoarthritis and to prescribe the correct treatment.
Symptoms of arthritis:
- 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, penetration of a dangerous pathogen, the general temperature rises;
- when moving, severe pain is felt, at rest, throbbing, "twitching", pain in the area of inflammation does not go away;
- often the infection affects other parts of the body, the state of health worsens, weakness develops, chronic pathologies become more active;
- negative processes often develop in the fingers, hands, ankle, less often in the knees.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis:
- wave nature of pain. At an initial stage, the pain is weak, the intensity does not increase for a long time;
- gradually the pain increases, in the morning you feel stiffness in the problematic joints;
- with the development of dystrophic changes, the mobility of the affected area decreases, in advanced cases complete immobility is possible due to the destruction of cartilage;
- the main places of localization are the hip joints (coxarthrosis), the spine (spondyloarthrosis), the knees (gonarthrosis).
The main methods of treating diseases
Patients often believe that the "proven" recipe for arthritis, proposed by a neighbor, will certainly help with osteoarthritis. Ignorance of the nature of the disease often damages the joints, worsens the condition of the body.
For example, in arthritis there is an active inflammatory process, the infection spreads to a large area of tissue. Warming up is strictly prohibited, but sufferers often warm up their sore knees with arthritis in hopes of healing. The result is exactly the opposite: heat accelerates the development of the inflammatory process, the infection penetrates with the blood and lymphatic flow to 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 therapeutic scheme, the use of drugs, folk methods, a physical therapy complex, physiotherapy are developed by a rheumatologist, orthopedist or arthrologist. In the advanced stages of arthrosis (less often, with arthritis), the help of an orthopedic surgeon is required.
Information for patients! With osteoarthritis, warm bandages are effective, cold compresses are recommended to relieve inflammation in arthritis.
Treatment of arthrosis
Basic principles:
- the main task is to normalize the state of the cartilage tissue. The doctor prescribes chondroprotectors with hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine. A long course of treatment improves the elasticity of cartilage tissue, restores blood circulation, metabolism, stops degenerative-dystrophic processes;
- in severe cases, drugs from the NSAID group are needed to relieve pain, eliminate the inflammation that has developed during abrasion of the joint tissue. But as the main tool in the treatment of osteoarthritis, 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. Correct 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. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are needed;
- 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 (preferably green) tea;
- physiotherapy gives an excellent effect: electrophoresis with anti-inflammatory drugs, magnetic and laser therapy, therapeutic baths. After stopping the inflammatory process, the complex of physical 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 characteristics 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.