In the last few decades, there has been an increase in the number of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, as evidenced by statistical data.Pathologies of the spine and joints take an "honorable" third place after diseases of the circulatory and respiratory systems.
Pain and stiffness in the joints not only significantly reduce the quality of life, but often lead to serious consequences - deformities and disability.Not surprisingly, patients often have no idea what arthritis and arthrosis are.After all, it is much more important for them to know how to get rid of the disease.
Various symptoms
Arthrosis can be distinguished from arthritis by the present symptoms, because these diseases manifest in different ways.Arthritis is a group of inflammatory joint lesions, in which all joint elements are involved in the pathological process - capsule, synovial membrane, cartilaginous tissue.
The characteristic signs of arthritis of any etiology are as follows:
- redness, swelling and severe pain when touched;
- the pain does not subside with rest;
- the pain syndrome is pulsating, painful or sharp in nature;
- wrist is hot to the touch;
- stiffness in the morning, which disappears after half an hour - an hour;
- symptoms of general intoxication – fever, malaise, weakness, sweating, etc.
In arthrosis, only the cartilage tissue is affected: due to fluid loss, it becomes loose and thin.As a result, the bones of the joint rub against each other, which worsens the pathological process.As the disease progresses, the cartilage tissue breaks down, and its individual fragments, detritus, are deposited on the epiphyses of the bones.
Unlike arthritis, arthrosis does not cause an inflammatory response over a long period of time.Swelling and redness can occur only in the final stages, when bony growths or a fluid-filled joint cavity exert pressure on the surrounding structures.
A characteristic symptom of arthrosis is the initial pain, which occurs in the morning or after a long rest.Daily physical activity, especially vigorous, is always accompanied by pain, which subsides at rest.For example, arthrosis of the knee joint is felt when walking, running or squatting.However, in the morning these movements help relieve stiffness.
The difference between arthritis and arthrosis is also the duration of morning stiffness - due to the destruction of cartilage and bone tissue, it disappears within a few minutes.In arthritis, stiffness can last more than an hour because a large amount of fluid (exudate) accumulates in the joint cavity overnight.However, this difference can be considered conditional, because advanced forms of arthrosis are also characterized by long-term stiffness.
With arthrosis of the feet or toes, a person has difficulty taking the first morning steps when getting out of bed.Due to the shift of the center of gravity to the heel or toe, the gait gradually changes and lameness appears.
The difference between arthritis and arthrosis is not only in the symptoms, but also in the causes.In addition, each of these diseases has its own characteristics of treatment.
Various reasons
In more than half of the cases, arthrosis develops after an injury, and not necessarily a severe one.Constant microtraumas that accompany the professional activities of athletes, builders and other representatives of physical labor have a significantly worse effect on the joint.
Chronic injuries that occur regularly remain, as a rule, unnoticed, and various damages "accumulate" in the joint.The cartilage gradually becomes thinner and cracks, the joint capsule tears, and bone tissue microfractures occur.As a result, the bones are deformed and favorable conditions are created for the development of arthrosis.
It is also worth noting that traffic accidents in which people of all ages are injured are becoming more frequent.Multiple severe fractures with bone fragmentation are often complicated by arthrosis, and sometimes by complete immobility of the joints.
Another cause of arthrosis is genetic predisposition - inherited characteristics of metabolism and skeletal structure.But even in this case, there is no guarantee that arthrosis will be transmitted from generation to generation.However, the risk of disease continues to increase.
Since excess body weight creates excess stress on the entire musculoskeletal system, all joint elements suffer.In a young person, cartilage tissue can withstand pressure.And in old age, when the elasticity of cartilage decreases, excess weight can accelerate cartilage wear.
Arthritis can also cause degeneration of cartilaginous structures, because joint inflammation changes the composition of synovial fluid and cartilage tissue.And since arthritis almost always disrupts local blood circulation, the development of secondary arthrosis is possible.It doesn't matter if the arthritis is cured or not.
Long-term psycho-emotional stress, surprisingly, does not have the best effect on joint health.Due to the sudden release of stress hormones (steroids), the permeability of blood vessels decreases and blood flow to the joints deteriorates.This leads to a decrease in the synthesis of hyaluronic acid, which is part of the synovial fluid and is responsible for its viscosity.Thanks to hyaluronic acid, the bones slide even with significant damage to the joint structure.
It is worth noting that in most cases one reason for the appearance of arthrosis is not enough.Usually, the mechanism of cartilage degeneration is triggered by a combination of several factors.
Arthritis and arthrosis are fundamentally different in origin.Arthritis can be caused by:
- infection;
- malfunction of the immune system when leukocytes begin to attack the body's own cells;
- injuries and excessive load on the joints - for example, massage therapists often develop arthritis in the hands, the weak point of weightlifters are the knees, shoulder joint damage occurs in boxers and tennis players;
- congenital skeletal anomalies;
- pathologies of the nervous and endocrine system, as well as hormonal imbalances during menopause;
- allergic reactions;
- heredity;
- metabolic disorders;
- intoxication with poisonous substances, bites of poisonous insects;
- severe or prolonged hypothermia of the body;
- alcohol abuse;
- unbalanced diet, lack of vitamins and minerals.
Regardless of the cause of joint damage, the balance between destructive and restorative processes is disturbed.That is, an excessive number of damaged, dead cells are created that do not have time to be used.And the new functional cells are not enough to replace the dead ones.As a result, the joint does not work.
If both diseases affect the same element - the joint, then what is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis?And why are the symptoms so different?The answer to these questions lies in which structures are affected by the pathological process.
In arthritis, there is inflammation of the synovial membrane and a change in the quality of joint fluid.There are also damaged cells.The response to their excess is the swelling of the capsule itself and nearby tissues.
The difference between arthrosis is that the damaged cells are concentrated in the cartilage, where another protective mechanism is activated - the cells that have lost their functionality are replaced by connective tissue with the formation of scars.Moreover, the new scar tissue is not able to perform the function of shock absorption and has no elasticity.
Since joint dysfunction occurs for a variety of reasons and may be related to hormonal, metabolic, and mechanical factors, understanding these causes is an important aspect.It largely depends on them what kind of treatment arthritis or arthrosis requires.
Differences in treatment
There is a specific treatment regimen for arthritis and arthrosis.Arthritis therapy is aimed at stopping the inflammatory process;the goal of treating arthrosis is to restore the cartilage tissue.This is another difference between the two diseases.The only similarity is that painkillers are used in both cases.
Self-medication in this case will not bring success and may worsen the situation.Even an experienced specialist will not always be able to determine by external signs how arthritis differs from arthrosis of the knee joint.Only after obtaining the results of the research is an accurate diagnosis made.
For the treatment of arthrosis in the acute period, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used in a short course.In case of severe pain, intra-articular blocks are performed with anesthetic and glucocorticosteroids.The therapy can be supplemented with local means - ointments and gels.
The main method of treating arthrosis is taking chondroprotectors - drugs based on substances that stimulate the regeneration of cartilage tissue and inhibit the development of the degenerative process.The most effective is the introduction of hyaluronic acid into the joint cavity - with the help of several injections, it is possible to restore mobility in the joint and relieve the patient of pain.
If necessary, vasodilators can be prescribed to improve blood circulation and muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasms.
Physical therapy is of great importance for arthrosis.With the help of exercises, you can achieve good results, namely:
- relieve tension and increase the tone of weakened muscles;
- reduce the intensity of pain;
- increase joint space and improve joint mobility;
- improve blood circulation and metabolic processes in the affected tissues.
Therapeutic tactics of arthritis depend on its origin.For allergic, infectious and gouty forms, antihistamines, antibacterial drugs and means to remove excess uric acid are prescribed.In most cases, symptomatic therapy is carried out using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hormones.
Rheumatoid arthritis therapy includes basic drugs and biologics that contain bacteriophages.
Vitamin complexes containing B vitamins are prescribed for arthritis of any kind.
In severe cases, surgical intervention is performed, which can be of several types:
- synovectomy;
- arthrotomy;
- joint resection;
- cheilectomy;
- arthrodesis;
- arthroscopy.
The presence of destructive changes in the joint may require endoprosthetics or reconstructive arthroplasty.The indication for this type of surgery is a poor prognosis due to the complete destruction of cartilage tissue.
Conclusions
Thus, arthritis can be distinguished from arthrosis by the characteristic signs accompanying these diseases.It is important to know that arthrosis most often affects the hip and knee, and somewhat less often the ankle and interphalangeal joints.
In most cases, arthritis can be recognized by symmetrical damage to the joints: if the joint of the right wrist becomes inflamed, then the corresponding joint on the left hand begins to ache almost immediately.
However, it should be remembered that it is impossible to diagnose it yourself, because similar symptoms can be observed with other pathologies - tendonitis, synovitis, bursitis and a number of others.Therefore, in case of discomfort and pain in the joints, it is necessary to undergo diagnostics in order to find out their cause.
The early stages of arthrosis are quite curable;in advanced cases, restoration of joint function is possible only with surgery.In arthritis, the prognosis depends not only on the type of disease, but also on the quality of the treatment provided.Timely treatment of post-traumatic arthritis leads to complete recovery of most patients.Elimination of allergens in the allergic form of the disease also guarantees recovery.
The main factor influencing a favorable prognosis is early detection and urgent treatment of the disease.Be healthy!