All joints in the human body have two enemies that prevent them from functioning fully. These are arthrosis and arthritis, however, although they have similarities in name, these are two different pathological processes that affect the cartilage tissue in the joints. Below we will consider how arthrosis differs from arthritis.
As you know, cartilage ensures joint function. Cartilage is strong, durable due to lack of blood vessels and nerve endings. Thankfully, the pressure on the tissues, where there are capillaries or nerve fibers, can be reduced.
As a person moves, cartilage tissue induces painless and unobstructed rotation of the bone head in the joint cavity, thus preventing damage to the joint from friction. During jumping, walking, cartilage softens the load, performing the function of shock absorption.
Osteoarthritis and arthritis cause joint spasms, which prevent a person from leading a normal life due to limited movement. There are a number of symptoms where the two diseases are similar, but there are many other symptoms that are fundamentally different.
Physiological processes caused by arthritis
The first symptom of this disease is pain in the joints. With arthritis, the inflammatory process of cartilage tissue begins.
In the joints, arthritis affects:
- joint capsule;
- synovial fluid, which lubricates and nourishes the tissues and cavities of the joints;
- located along the edges of the synovial membrane.
Patients diagnosed with arthritis most often complain of pain, joint spasms. The inflamed area begins to turn red, and the temperature rises even in the place of arthritis or polyarthritis. In some cases, pain syndrome is also felt in paired joints on the other arm or leg.
The symptom that worries patients when there is arthritis and polyarthritis is swelling of the outer tissue of the joint.
However, although the function is reduced, structural deformation does not occur. Arthritis causes the emergence of inflammatory processes of cartilage tissue, which are caused by trauma, infection or metabolic disorders. The disease can be completely cured, but only on condition that the patient adheres to the recommendations of the doctor during treatment and does not use folk remedies that are not certified for arthritis. If this process is allowed to run smoothly, the disease will cause joint deterioration.
Physiological processes caused by arthrosis
The presence of arthrosis or spondyloarthrosis leads to pathological processes occurring in the joint cavity. Since there are no vessels in cartilage tissue, it consumes synovial fluid, which contains many elements.
When a person reaches old age, the metabolic processes in his body begin to slow down, as a result of which cartilage nutrition deteriorates, which leads to its deterioration.
Cartilage with various types of arthrosis becomes thinner and is unable to cope with the shock -absorbing function. For this reason, patients begin to feel pain syndrome at the moment the joint is involved.
In this case, it does not make sense to take anti-inflammatory drugs for arthrosis, because there is no inflammatory process. The disease occurs in the elderly. Its occurrence is influenced by one’s lifestyle. People who eat properly, lead a healthy lifestyle, arthrosis, as a rule, do not appear.
Another factor in how arthritis differs from arthrosis is that, unlike the first, with the second disease there is no edema, redness of the tissues.
Also, arthrosis differs in that it affects specific joints. If it affects a joint in one arm, then it will not be in the other. It usually occurs in large joints such as the hips or knees.
Different and similar disease characteristics
Similar symptoms:
- in the morning, one feels numbness and cramps in the joints;
- loss of full limb movement;
- pain when moving the affected joint.
These are symptoms inherent in the two diseases, but the pain has a different character, the place of occurrence, the duration of the sensation is different. As a rule, doctors rely on these indications when making a diagnosis.
The difference between arthrosis and arthritis
- With arthritis at the site of the affected joint, an increase in skin temperature is observed, this process is due to inflammation. But with arthrosis, even if the degenerative process is underway, these symptoms are absent.
- Arthritis causes swelling of the upper tissues, with the second disease these symptoms are absent.
- The presence of polyarthritis, arthritis due to inflammation can cause subcutaneous nodules. Such symptoms do not exist in arthrosis.
- Arthrosis causes a process of deformation in the joints and, if left untreated (using ointments for arthrosis or other methods), it will become dysfunctional. The presence of polyarthritis or arthritis does not cause disability.
- Because of the inflammation in arthritis, the skin in the affected area becomes more red. The second disease does not change the color of the skin.
Similar signs and differences
There are a number of nuances that can be diagnosed when studied. In the following, symptoms with individual and similar symptoms will be described.
Painful sensation
As noted above, pain syndrome occurs in both diseases. However, arthritis must be characterized by the presence of inflammation that causes pain. The nature of the pain is very acute and can appear even at night or shortly after waking up.
Many people themselves exacerbate the condition when they use new magic creams or medications advertised on the Internet to treat polyarthritis. Any good doctor will tell you that you cannot prescribe treatment for arthritis independently.
With respect to arthrosis, pain occurs due to degradation of cartilage tissue, as a result of which it is unable to reduce the load. When there is no amortization, the bone apparatus is injured.
A person feels pain after a long walk or when doing exercises that put a strain on the joints. When the disease first appears, the patient may feel uncomfortable, but as the disease progresses, the condition only gets worse. In this case, you not only need to take pills or other medications for arthrosis, the treatment should be complicated and done under the supervision of a doctor.
The process of deformation
Both diseases can alter the structure of the joint. Arthritis can be identified by external physiological changes visible on visual examination: increased local temperature, redness, swelling, and node formation.
Often, arthritis is accompanied by: weakness, increased sweating, psoriasis. Only certain types of arthritis can cause changes in joint structure - these are osteoarthritis and arthritis trauma.
Arthrosis is considered a more dangerous disease, as it does not manifest itself externally. However, active tissue deformation occurs in the joint cavity. Cartilage becomes thinner, and, as a result, bone tissue is exposed to unusual stress.
Inflammation
With arthritis, swelling appears in the affected joint area. The reason is an inflamed synovial film, located in the center of the capsule. During the analysis of the patient, there was an increase in the level of leukocytes. As a rule, the presence of infection or injury causes the emergence of inflammatory processes.
Arthrosis does not cause an increase in leukocytes, as there is no inflammation. The process of degeneration begins gradually, and often a person is unaware of the symptoms.
Click and critical
The symptom of arthrosis is a spasm in a sore joint. The reason is worn out cartilage tissue, which causes pain during bone tissue interactions. But cracks do not always indicate the presence of disease, healthy people can also hear clicks. With arthrosis, his voice will become rough and dry.
With arthritis, there are no fractures, because as a result of inflammation, the joints swell and are unable to move fully, the cartilage tissue carries out its function.
Joint mobility
Both of these diseases have similar symptomatology in that they restrict joint movement. However, the reason for the stiffness is different.
Decreased motor activity of joints with arthrosis is due to thinning of cartilage tissue, while at the beginning of the disease there are absolutely no such symptoms. In arthritis, stiffness is caused by inflammation and is widespread. The joints are completely paralyzed.
General and specific causes
A common cause of illness is an injury a person receives while running or jumping. Also, frequent and heavy joint loads can cause this. For this reason, the disease is often found in professional athletes. Another reason is severe or frequent hypothermia, this often occurs in the joints of the limbs.
Arthritis occurs as a result of inflammation caused by the emergence of infection in the body; This is not uncommon for arthrosis. Since inflammation is a whole -body process, arthritis is only a consequence. To cure this disease, it is necessary to know the cause of the onset of the inflammatory process and get rid of it. Being overweight can also lead to the onset of arthritis due to the fact that the pressure on the joints. In this case, the joints of the lower legs and the musculoskeletal system are at risk.
Osteoarthritis is a separate disease, as this process has nothing to do with the general condition of the body. The reasons for its appearance are hidden in a small number of nutrients that enter the body due to improper nutrition. Also, bad habits, such as smoking and alcohol abuse, can provoke the disease. Often its appearance is promoted by circulatory diseases and hormonal disorders. According to statistics, most parents suffer from arthrosis.
Who is at risk
A person at any age is prone to arthritis. Diseases caused by infections afflict infants. According to statistics, women are more likely to suffer from arthritis.
For arthrosis, parents suffer from it. As a rule, structural deformation of cartilage tissue begins in those over 60 years of age. The fact is that the older a person is, the slower the metabolic processes in the body, this is also influenced by one’s lifestyle. And by the way, those with arthritis are more susceptible to arthrosis.
Risk groups include people who have bad habits, expose their bodies to regular physical activity and eat poorly.
Common in the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis
For the treatment of this disease, some of the same steps are taken:
- the patient must exclude any stress, prescribe a better regimen;
- taking medications that restore the amount of cartilage and nourish it;
- performing exercise therapy along with massage to improve metabolic processes in the body and blood flow to diseased joints;
- the use of painkillers to relieve pain;
- the doctor prescribes intra-articular blockade in the form of injections;
- joint oxygenation;
- patients switch to a complex diet.
Treatment, in particular, varies in the course of antibiotics for infectious type arthritis to treat the underlying cause of the disease.
During advanced stages, they use surgical intervention as treatment. This need arises when cartilage tissue is completely destroyed. In this case, a prosthetic joint is fitted.