Arthritis and arthritis both affect the joints, and since joint pain requires the patient to see a doctor in hopes of recovery, he does not see the difference between these diseases.Arthritis, arthritis - why these delicacies?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 the difference, rememberhow the joint works.
In a typical case, the joint consists of two bones, the heads of which are covered by a special sliding material - hyaline cartilage.This makes it easier for the bones to rub together.Synovial fluid performs the same task: the bones are not in close contact with each other, there is a small gap between them, which is filled with exactly this fluid.The point of contact between synovial fluid and the bones that make up the joint is separated from other organs and tissues by the joint capsule, which consists of dense connective tissue.
In case of arthritis, the cartilage becomes inflamed;intra-articular cartilage suffers from arthrosis.
What is arthritis
Arthritis is a collective terminflammatoryjoint diseases.In case of arthritis, the synovial lining of the joint becomes inflamed and the connective tissues of the body are affected.Arthritis can be caused by immune system disorders, infections, or injuries.It is usually accompanied by pain, swelling, redness and limited joint mobility.Arthritis is characterized by "flying" joint pain - it disturbs one joint and then the other.Arthritis can develop at any age, even in teenagers (so-called juvenile arthritis).Advanced arthritis can be complicated by wear of the intra-articular cartilage (arthrosis).
What is arthrosis
Arthrosis is chronicdegenerativejoint disease characterized by progressive wear and tear of cartilage tissue.It can occur in any joint, but the knees, hips, shoulders and wrists are most commonly affected, as these are the joints that are subjected to the most stress.Arthrosis causes pain, stiffness and impaired joint mobility;the pain always affects the same joint or group of joints.Arthrosis is characteristic of elderly patients, although the first signs of this disease can be seen in people in their thirties.
Thus, the main difference between arthritis and arthrosis lies in the causes and manifestations of their occurrence.Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints, while arthrosis is the degeneration and wear of the cartilage tissue.It is important to note that although these two conditions have different development mechanisms, they are related to each other, as inflammatory processes can contribute to the degradation of intra-articular cartilage, i.e. arthrosis, and the wear and tear 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 the causative agent (usually bacteria that cause intestinal or venereal diseases): the body cannot stop in time, and although the infection has already been defeated, the immune system continues to attack, now also affecting its own joint tissues.
- Entry of pathogens into the joint cavity as a result of injury or via lymph and blood flow.
- Entry of capillary blood into the joint cavity as a result of injury.
- Arthrosis (arthritis as a complication).
Reasonsarthrosiscan become:
- Being overweight, which increases the stress on the joints of the legs.
- Hard physical work.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Joint instability due to ligament and tendon injuries.
- Old age.
- Surgery involving the joint.
- Innate characteristics of the body.
- Arthritis (the hyaline cartilage begins to deteriorate due to the inflammatory processes of the joints).
Arthrosis is often not caused by one cause, but by a combination of them.
Clinical symptoms of arthritis and arthrosis
Joint pain differs between arthrosis and arthritis.
Acute arthritis is characterized by:
- Significant redness around the affected joint.
- Severe swelling in the affected area.
- The joint hurts during movement and at rest.
- Prolonged morning stiffness (about an hour).
- General ill health: weakness, poor performance, body aches, sweating and sometimes fever.
Arthrosis is characterized by:
- Joint pain especially during movement.
- Difficulty doing normal activities (for example, climbing stairs is painful if you have knee arthritis).
- Relatively short-lasting morning stiffness (up to half an hour).
- Initial pain: when the patient goes from rest to activity, the joint bothers him for a while, but this quickly passes.
- Foreign sounds (clicking, squeaking, crunching) in the later stages of the disease./li>
- Narrowing of the joint space and/or bone deformation, which is noticeable when palpating the joint (in the later stages of the disease, the deformation is easily visible).
- Swelling of the affected joint, if the patient has suffered from arthrosis for a long time and secondary inflammation has developed.
Radiography helps to definitively determine the diagnosis.In the case of arthritis, there will be no pathological changes in the image, but in the case of arthrosis, a decrease in the height of the joint gap or even bone growths can be observed.
Treatment of arthritis and arthrosis
Arthritis therapyit can vary depending on the type of disease and its causes.This may include:
- antibiotics;
- immunomodulatory drugs;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs);
- corticosteroids (if NSAIDs are not effective enough).
When the inflammation can be reduced, physical therapy is also used to maintain the function of the joints and physiotherapy, including physiotherapy.exposure to magnetic fields.
Treatment of arthrosisis also comprehensive and includes both drug and non-drug methods.
The most commonly used drugs are NSAIDs, often in the form of gels and ointments.
Among the non-pharmacological methods of arthrosis, movement therapy, massage and magnet therapy are recommended.
Exposure to magnetic fields with specially selected parameters for arthrosis allows:
- relieves pain, secondary inflammation and swelling;
- improves the nutrition of the diseased joint and thereby slows down the development of the disease;
- prolongs periods without exacerbations.
Things to remember:
- The difference between arthritis and arthrosis lies in the causes and manifestations of their occurrence.Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints, while arthrosis is the degeneration and wear of the cartilage tissue.Arthritis and arthrosis are related to each other, as inflammatory processes can contribute to the degradation of intra-articular cartilage, and wear and tear 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 the patient's general malaise.Arthritis is characterized by joint pain during movement, difficulty performing normal activities, short-term morning stiffness and initial pain;swelling of the joint is possible (with the development of secondary inflammation).In addition, in the case of arthritis, there will be no pathological changes on the X-ray image, but in the case of arthrosis, the height of the joint gap decreases.
- Treatment of both arthritis and arthrosis should be comprehensive.Depending on the cause of the arthritis, your doctor may recommend antibiotics, immunomodulatory drugs, NSAIDs, or corticosteroids.After the inflammation subsides, exercise therapy and magnet therapy are added.For arthrosis, NSAIDs, exercise therapy, massage and magnetic therapy are used.