Joints have two main "enemies" that counteract the work in all respects. These are diseases of arthritis and arthrosis, despite the similar names, the essence of the ongoing pathological processes is different. The area affected by these diseases is the cartilage.
Cartilage plays an important role in joint health. It has no blood vessels and nerve endings, so it can be strong and withstand heavy loads. This softens the effect on those tissues where nerve fibers or blood capillaries are present.
When the body moves, the cartilage provides unimpeded and painless rotation of the bone heads in the joints, reducing frictional damage to zero. During the jump, 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 experience pain in a particular joint, this can indicate the appearance of a disease such as arthritis. This disorder 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 the tissues and acts as a lubricant;
- joint capsule.
Patients with arthritis complain of acute pain, for example, in the knee, limitation of limb mobility. Characteristic are fever and redness of the inflamed area. The pain may be "fluffy", affecting a similar joint on 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 inflammation of the cartilage, caused by metabolic disturbances, infections or caused by trauma, which, with proper treatment, can be eliminated without further degradation of the joint itself.
Physiological processes in arthrosis
This disease is more associated with internal changes in the joint. Since cartilage is devoid of blood vessels, it is nourished and rebuilt by synovial fluid, which contains the necessary beneficial chemicals.
With age, metabolic processes slow down and cartilage tissue, receiving less nutrition, begins to wear out faster than to recover. This leads to its thinning.
The thin, decaying cartilage is no longer able to cushion well under stress, so patients with osteoarthritis experience pain when walking or working with the affected joint.
Inflammatory processes are not observed. The disease is exclusively related to age and associated with individual lifestyle characteristics (correct eating habits and the intake of additional support substances can act as good prevention and delay the onset of the disease for a long time).
The degradation of cartilage tissue leads to pain of a aching nature. There is no swelling or redness.
Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects a specific joint. There is no parallel development at the same point in the adjacent limb. The disease often "selects" a large "knot" in the anatomy. It can be the hip or knee joint.
Similar and different features - briefly about the main thing
Arthritis and osteoarthritis have similarities in the manifestation of some of the symptoms. They are:
- stiffness after waking up, feeling of numbness in the joint;
- loss of full motor function of the limb;
- pain syndrome that makes performing elementary actions unpleasant.
Despite the general symptoms and the nature of the sensations, their number and location, they can tell what kind of disease they refer to. Differences in the manifestations of 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 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 anomaly.
- Arthritis does not lead to anatomical deformities. Arthrosis, in fact, renders the joint incapacitated (in 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, one can highlight the nuances that help identify the "enemy" that has 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 joint inflammation, 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 person's actions.
Pain in osteoarthritis is associated with the degradation of cartilage and the inability to fully fulfill its purpose. Cushioning and friction attenuation are not performed at the correct level, therefore the bone system is injured.
Aching pains and appear more often after a long walk or other loads on the affected joint. In the initial stage, the pain can be subtle, but the picture changes as the disease progresses.
Deformation
Both diseases affect the structure of the joint system. Physiological changes in arthritis are more visual in nature. It:
- swelling;
- the formation of nodules;
- redness of the skin;
- temperature.
Arthritis can be accompanied by: psoriasis, increased sweating and weakness. Only some types of diseases (traumatic and arthritic) can modify the structural structure of the anatomical node.
With arthritic manifestations, the joint externally appears as usual, but irreversible processes occur inside. The cartilage layer becomes thinner, which leads to an increase in the 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 inside the joint capsule. A blood test shows elevated leukocytes in such patients.
Inflammation can be caused by 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 click
A crunchy sound in the joint is a sure sign of osteoarthritis. This is due to the deterioration of the cartilage and the painful interaction of the bone tissue. In healthy people, all joints sometimes creak. The difference between the affected area is that the sound will be "dry" and "rough".
Arthritis does not crack because the swollen joint is limited in movement and its cartilage still protects the bone tissue from painful interactions.
Joint mobility
The limitation of joint work combines the symptoms of these diseases. But there is a significant difference in the nature of the breach.
In arthritic pathology, the range of motion decreases, but this occurs gradually as the cartilage wears out. Arthritis is characterized by extensive stiffness that paralyzes the work of the joint. This is due to swelling and inflammation.
Common and various 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 contributing factor 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, in which 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 overweight, which overloads the joints every day.
Osteoarthritis is a separate disease not related to general health conditions. It can develop due to poor quality nutrition and insufficient supply of the necessary substances to cartilage tissue. This can be facilitated by hormonal disturbances and circulatory diseases, which compromise the supply of other tissues. More often the disease "accompanies" the elderly.
Risk area
A person of any age can develop arthritis. As a result of the infection, it can affect the joints of even young children. Often the beautiful half of humanity suffers from it, at the age of 35-55 years.
Osteoarthritis is an exclusively "old" disease. Structural changes in cartilage tissue occur after 60 years. This is due to a deterioration in the metabolic process and other aging factors. People with arthritis are more likely to develop osteoarthritis.
Excess weight, poor diet and strenuous exercise increase the likelihood of developing both diseases.
Approach to treatment
When diagnosing these diseases, partially similar treatment is prescribed, which consists of:
- establishment of a thrifty regime that excludes stress on the affected joints;
- take drugs that nourish the cartilage tissue and restore its volume;
- massage in combination with physiotherapy exercises, which improves blood flow to the sore spot and natural metabolism;
- pain relief with pain relievers;
- intra-articular block;
- joint oxygenation;
- special complex meals.
The difference between treatment is a course of antibiotics for infectious arthritis to remove 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 stress. Carve out time for 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 overcool.
- Eat properly. Food should 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 a disorder can develop.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
For arthritis, further prevention will be the rapid diagnosis and treatment of any infectious disease, which will prevent the inflammation from spreading to other places.