Joints have two main "enemies" that counteract full-blown work. These are diseases of arthritis and arthrosis, despite the similar names, the essence of the ongoing pathological processes is different. The affected area of these diseases is the cartilage.
Cartilage plays an important role in joint health. It has no blood vessels or nerve endings, so it can be strong and carry heavy loads. This softens the effect on those tissues in which there are nerve fibers or blood capillaries.
When the body moves, the cartilage provides painless and unhindered rotation of the bone heads in the joints, reducing frictional damage to zero. When jumping, the cartilage tissue acts as a shock absorber, absorbing the inertial load.
Arthritis and osteoarthritis "chain" the work of the joints and interfere with full movement. Some of the symptoms of these diseases are similar, others differ radically.
Physiological processes in arthritis.
When a person begins to feel pain in a particular joint, this may indicate the onset of a disease such as arthritis. This ailment means inflammation of the cartilage.
The disease can affect all components of the joint:
- the synovial membrane located along the edges;
- synovial fluid that nourishes tissues and acts as a lubricant;
- joint capsule.
Patients with arthritis complain of acute pain, for example, in the knee, limitation of mobility of the extremities. Fever and redness of the inflamed area are characteristic. The pain can be "steaming", affecting a similar joint in the other limb.
A constant sign of the disease is visually distinguishable external tissue edema.
Despite the decrease in the functionality of the joint, its internal structure does not change. This is just an inflammation of the cartilage, caused by metabolic disorders, infection or triggered by trauma, which, with proper treatment, can be removed without further degradation of the joint.
Physiological processes in osteoarthritis.
This disease is more associated with internal changes in the joint. Since cartilage lacks blood vessels, it is nourished and rebuilt with synovial fluid, which contains the necessary beneficial chemicals.
With age, metabolic processes slow down and cartilage tissue, which receives less nutrients, begins to wear out faster than it recovers. This leads to their weight loss.
Decomposing thin cartilage can no longer cushion well under stress, so osteoarthritis patients experience pain when walking or working with the affected joint.
Inflammatory processes are not observed. The disease is exclusively related to age and is associated with individual lifestyle characteristics (correct eating habits and the intake of additional supporting substances can serve as a good prevention and delay the onset of the disease for a long time).
The degradation of cartilage tissue leads to pain of a painful nature. There is no swelling or redness.
Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects a specific joint. There is no parallel development in the same place on the adjacent branch. The disease often "selects" a large "node" in the anatomy. It can be the hip or knee joint.
Similar and different characteristics - briefly about the main thing
Arthritis and osteoarthritis have similarities in the manifestation of some of the symptoms. Are:
- stiffness after waking up, feeling of numbness in the joint;
- loss of complete motor function in the limb;
- pain syndrome that makes the performance of elementary actions unpleasant.
Despite the general symptoms and the nature of the sensations, their number and place, they can tell what kind of disease they are related to. Differences in the manifestations of the ailments will help to more accurately identify the diagnosis.
So what is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis?
- The first has a clear increase in body temperature against the background of inflammation. In the second disease, this is not due to the gradual and imperceptible development of degenerative processes.
- Arthritis has a pronounced tissue edema. In the case of osteoarthritis, this symptom is absent.
- Inflammation of the cartilage tissue can lead to the formation of subcutaneous nodules. The second disease does not cause this abnormality.
- Arthritis does not produce anatomical deformities. Osteoarthritis, in fact, incapacitates the joint (at an extreme stage).
- With arthritis, there is redness of the skin around the affected joint. Osteoarthritis is not distinguished by a change in skin pigmentation.
Detail differences and similarities
With a closer look at the symptoms, you can highlight the nuances that help identify the "enemy" that hit the joint. Below are the main symptoms of diseases with the main similar and individual manifestations.
Pain syndrome
Painful sensations are inherent in both diseases. But since arthritis is associated with inflammation of the joints, pain is an integral part of the course of the entire disease. It has a sharp character. Sometimes patients can feel it at night or in the morning. Painful sensations cause suffering regardless of the type of actions of the person.
Pain in osteoarthritis is associated with the degradation of cartilage and the inability to fully fulfill its purpose. Damping and friction mitigation are not performed at the proper level, therefore the bone apparatus is injured.
Painful pain and appears more often after a long walk or other load on the affected joint. In the initial stage, the pain may be subtle, but the picture changes as the disease progresses.
Deformation
Both diseases affect the structure of the articular apparatus. Physiological changes in arthritis are more visual in nature. That:
- swelling;
- the formation of nodules;
- redness of the skin;
- temperature.
Arthritis can be accompanied by: psoriasis, increased sweating and weakness. Only some types of disease (traumatic and osteoarthritis) can change the structural structure of the anatomical node.
With arthritic manifestations, outwardly the joint looks as usual, but inside, irreversible processes take place. The cartilage layer becomes thinner, which leads to an increasing load on the bone tissue.
Inflammatory process
Arthritic manifestations are characterized by swelling in the affected joint area.
This is due to inflammation of the synovial film itself, which is located within the joint capsule. A blood test shows elevated white blood cells in these patients.
The inflammation may be due to injury or infection.
In osteoarthritis, the leukocyte mass is normal, due to the absence of an inflammatory process. Degenerative changes go smoothly, often unnoticed by the patient.
Crunch and clicks
A crack in the joint is a sure sign of osteoarthritis. This is due to the deterioration of cartilage and the painful interaction of bone tissue. In healthy people, all joints sometimes contract. The difference between the affected area is that the sound will be "dry" and "harsh".
Arthritis does not creak because the inflamed joint has restricted movement and its cartilage still protects bone tissue from painful interactions.
Joint mobility
The joint work limitation combines the symptoms of these diseases. But there is a significant difference in the nature of the offense.
In arthritic pathology, the range of motion decreases, but this happens gradually as the cartilage wears down. Arthritis is characterized by extensive stiffness that paralyzes the work of the joint. This is due to swelling and inflammation.
Common and diverse causes of development.
These diseases can develop due to injuries sustained while jumping or running. Joint disease can be provoked by a strong and prolonged load. This is the "professional" legacy of many athletes. Postponed hypothermia is another factor that contributes to the development of both diseases.
The difference between the diseases is that arthritis can occur due to an infection that has entered the body, which is not typical of osteoarthritis. This is a general inflammation, where the arthritic manifestation will be only a consequence, for the treatment of which it is necessary to find and eliminate the primary source. Another cause of arthritis can be being overweight, which puts stress on the joints on a daily basis.
Osteoarthritis is a separate disease that is not related to general health conditions. It can develop due to the poor quality of nutrition and the supply of insufficient amounts of the necessary substances to the cartilage tissue. This can be facilitated by hormonal disorders and circulatory diseases, which impair the supply of other tissues. Most often, the disease "accompanies" the elderly.
Area of risk
A person of any age can develop arthritis. As a consequence of the infection, it can affect the joints even in young children. Often the beautiful half of humanity suffers from it, at the age of 35-55 years.
Osteoarthritis is a uniquely "old" disease. Structural changes in cartilage tissue occur after 60 years. This is due to a deteriorating metabolic process and other aging factors. People with arthritis are more likely to develop osteoarthritis.
Excess weight, poor diet, and vigorous exercise increase the likelihood of developing both diseases.
Treatment approach
When diagnosing these diseases, a partially similar treatment is prescribed, which consists of:
- establishment of a conservative regimen that excludes stress on the affected joints;
- take drugs that nourish cartilage tissue and restore its volume;
- massage in combination with physical therapy exercises, which improves blood flow to the sore spot and natural metabolism;
- pain relief with analgesics;
- intra-articular block;
- joint oxygenation;
- complex specialty meals.
The difference between the treatment is a course of antibiotics in case of infectious arthritis to eliminate the root cause of the disease.
For arthritic manifestations, surgical intervention is a separate way to eliminate the disease. This is necessary in case of complete destruction of the cartilage. In such a situation, it is replaced with a prosthetic joint.
Disease prevention
As preventive measures for both ailments, the following can be distinguished:
- Moderate stressSet aside time to exercise from the cardio group several times a week. This promotes joint mobility, without unnecessary stress, as in the case of lifting a barbell.
- Do not get too cold.
- Eat properly. Food must be rich in trace elements and vitamins.
- Maintain a healthy weight so your joints don't wear out prematurely.
- Avoid joint injuries. Avoid jumping from great heights and lifting weights.
- In old age, walking with a cane, which reduces the load on the leg, where an ailment can develop.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
For arthritis, further prevention will be the prompt diagnosis and treatment of any infectious disease, which will prevent the inflammation from spreading to other places.