Funds have two main "enemies" that challenge full-fledged work. These are diseases arthritis and osteoarthritis, despite similar names, the essence of the current pathological processes is different. The affected area of these diseases is cartilage.
Cartilage plays an important role in joint health. It has no blood vessels and no nerve endings, so it can be strong and withstand heavy loads. This softens the effect on tissues that contain nerve fibers or blood capillaries.
When the body moves, the cartilage ensures a smooth and painless rotation of the bone heads in the joints, reducing friction damage to zero. When jumping, cartilage acts as shock absorbers, absorbing inertial loads.
Arthritis and osteoarthritis "hinders" the work of the joints and prevents full movement. Some of the symptoms of these diseases are similar, while others are radically different.
Physiological processes in arthritis
When a person starts having pain in a particular joint, it may indicate the appearance of a disease such as arthritis. This disease means inflammation of the cartilage.
The disease can affect all components of the joint:
- Synovial membrane along the edges;
- Synovial fluid that nourishes tissues and acts as a lubricant;
- Joint capsule.
Patients with arthritis complain of severe pain, such as in the knee, restriction of limb mobility. Fever and redness of the inflammatory site are characteristic. The pain may be "steam" affecting a joint similar to the other limb.
A constant sign of the disease is the swelling of the visually distinct outer tissue.
Despite the reduction in the functioning of the joint, its internal structure does not change. It is only inflammation of the cartilage caused by metabolic disorders, infection or provoked trauma that 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 has no blood vessels, it is nourished and restored by synovial fluid, which contains essential beneficial chemicals.
With age, metabolic processes slow down and cartilage tissue that receives less nutrition begins to wear out faster than it recovers. This causes it to thin.
Spoiled thin cartilage can no longer lift 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 age-related and is associated with individual characteristics of lifestyle (proper dietary habits and intake of additional aids can be a good prevention and prolong the onset of the disease).
Cartilage tissue degradation causes pain that hurts in 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 limb. The disease often "chooses" a large "node" in the anatomy. It can be a thigh or knee joint.
Similar and different characteristics - briefly on the main issue
Arthritis and osteoarthritis have similarities in the manifestation of some of the symptoms. They are:
- Stiffness after awakening, feeling of numbness in the joint;
- Loss of full motor function of the limb;
- Pain syndrome that makes it unpleasant to perform elementary actions.
Regardless of the nature of the general symptoms and sensations, their number and location, they can tell what type of disease they are related to. Differences in disease manifestations will help to make a more accurate diagnosis.
So what is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis:
- The first has a sharp rise in body temperature against the background of inflammation. In the second disease it is not due to the gradual and unnoticed development of degenerative processes.
- Arthritis has tissue swelling. In the case of osteoarthritis, this symptom does not exist.
- Inflammation of cartilage can lead to the formation of subcutaneous nodules. The second disease does not cause this anomaly.
- Arthritis does not cause anatomical deformities. Arthrosis, in fact, makes the joint impossible (at the extreme stage).
- With arthritis, there is redness of the skin around the affected joint. Osteoarthritis is not characterized by a change in skin pigmentation.
Detailed description of differences and similarities
When you look at the symptoms more closely, you can highlight the nuances that help to identify the "enemy" in the joint. The following are the main symptoms of the disease with major similar and individual manifestations.
Pain syndrome
Painful sensations are inherent in both diseases. But because arthritis is associated with inflammation of the joints, pain is an integral part of the entire course of the disease. He has a sharp character. Sometimes patients can feel this at night, or in the morning. Painful sensations cause suffering, regardless of the actions of the human face.
Pain in osteoarthritis is associated with cartilage degradation and the inability to fully fulfill its purpose. The cushioning and friction relief is not carried out at the proper level, hence the bone apparatus is damaged.
Painful aches and more often occur after prolonged walking, or other strain on the affected joint. The pain at the initial stage may be minor, but as the disease progresses the picture changes.
Deformation
Both diseases affect the structure of the joint apparatus. The physiological changes in arthritis are more visual in nature. He:
- Swelling;
- Formation of nodes;
- 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, on the outside the joint looks normal, but irreversible processes take place on the inside. The cartilage layer becomes thinner, causing an increasing load on the bone tissue.
inflammatory process
Arthrosis manifestations are characterized by swelling in the affected joint area.
This is caused by inflammation of the synovial film that is inside the joint capsule. A blood test shows an increase in leukocytes in such patients.
Inflammation can be caused by injury or infection.
The mass of leukocytes during arthrosis is normal, due to the absence of the inflammatory process. Degenerative changes go smoothly, often unnoticed by the patient.
Cracking and clicks
A crackling sound in the joint is a sure sign of osteoarthritis. It is caused by cartilage deterioration and painful interaction of bone tissue. In healthy people all the joints sometimes fall apart. The difference between the affected areas is that the sound will be "dry" and "rough".
Arthritis does not crack because the swollen joint is restricted in movement and its cartilage still protects the bone tissue from painful interactions.
Joint mobility
Restriction 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 changes. Arthritis is characterized by extensive stiffness that paralyzes the work of the joint. It is caused by swelling and inflammation.
Common and various causes of development
These diseases can develop due to injuries received while jumping or jogging. Joint disease can be provoked by strong and prolonged exercise. This is the "professional" legacy of many athletes. Delayed 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 entering the body, which is not typical for osteoarthritis. This is a general inflammation where the manifestation of arthritis will be the only result for the treatment of which it is necessary to find and eliminate the primary source. Another cause of arthritis can be excess weight, which overloads the joints on a daily basis.
Osteoarthritis is a separate disease that is not related to the general state of health. It can develop due to poor nutrition and insufficient supply of essential substances to the cartilage tissue. This can contribute to hormonal disorders and circulatory diseases that interfere with the supply of other tissues. More often the disease "accompanies" the elderly.
Risk zone
People of any age can develop arthritis. As a result of the infection, it can affect the joints of even small children. Often the beautiful half of humanity experiences it, at the age of 35-55.
Osteoarthritis is an exclusively "old" disease. Structural changes in cartilage tissue occur after 60 years. It is caused by deterioration of metabolic processes and other factors of aging. People with arthritis are more likely to develop osteoarthritis.
Excess weight, poor nutrition and strenuous exercise increase the likelihood of developing both diseases.
Treatment approach
When diagnosing these diseases, a partially similar treatment is prescribed, which consists of:
- Establish a savings regime that eliminates stress on the affected joints;
- Taking medications that nourish cartilage tissue and restore its volume;
- Massage in combination with physiotherapy exercises that improve blood flow to the sore spot and natural metabolism;
- Analgesics with analgesics;
- Intra-articular blockade;
- Joint oxygen;
- Special complex meals.
The difference between treatments is the course of antibiotics in the case of infectious arthritis to eliminate the root cause of the disease.
Surgical intervention for the manifestations of osteoarthritis is a separate way of eliminating the disease. This is necessary in case of complete destruction of cartilage. In such a situation it is replaced by a prosthetic joint.
Disease prevention
As prophylactic measures for both diseases, the following can be distinguished:
- Moderate stress. Set aside time for exercise from the cardio group several times a week. This promotes joint mobility, without undue stress, as in the case of beard lifting.
- Do not overcool.
- Eat right. Food should be rich in trace elements and vitamins.
- Maintain a healthy weight so that your joints do not run out prematurely.
- Avoid injuries to the joints. Avoid jumping from high heights and lifting weights.
- In old age, walking with a cane, which reduces the load on the leg, where the disease can develop.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
Additional prevention during arthritis will be the rapid diagnosis and treatment of any infectious disease that will prevent inflammation from spreading to other areas.