Arthritis and arthrosis are complex diseases affecting the joints. Due to similar symptoms, many people think that these diseases are identical, but they are not. Arthritis and arthrosis differ in the causes of the disease, the nature of its development, the area of damage and require completely different treatment.
Suppose two people see a doctor complaining of joint pain. One was diagnosed with arthritis and the other with arthrosis. While both patients sat in line, they had time to discuss their health problems a little.
It turned out that their symptoms are very similar: joints ache, do not bend / unbend at full strength, do not give rest either at night or during the day. Even the diagnoses are consonant, but still they are different. What is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis if both diseases affect the joints?
What is arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammatory disorder of the joint. It is always preceded by damage to bone or cartilage tissue by some factor.
Biologically active substances are released from the destroyed cells, which trigger an inflammatory reaction. The vessels in the lesion expand, fill with blood: due to this, immunity cells emerge in the joint tissue to fight the damaging factor.
At the same time, the liquid part of the blood leaves the vascular bed and edema forms, which limits the area of inflammation. So the body protects itself from extensive damage by bacteria, foreign bodies, and chemicals.
After complete or partial elimination of the pathogenic agent, the healing mechanism starts. If the damage was minor, then normal tissue function is restored. Deep defects heal through a scar - an area of rough connective tissue that does not perform the usual function of an organ.
Arthritis goes through all these stages:
- alteration - damage;
- exudation - the formation of edema;
- proliferation - healing.
Reasons
The causes of the disease are great, we will list the main ones:
- streptococcal infection (tonsillitis, scarlet fever) often gives rise to a complication - rheumatism;
- aggressive autoantibodies - proteins that the body produces to fight its own tissues; such a situation develops with an error in the immune defense, due to which she perceives the joints as a foreign element for the body - rheumatoid arthritis;
- violation of purine metabolism leads to deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints - gout;
- allergic reactions can involve joint tissue with the development of an inflammatory reaction - allergic arthritis;
- long-term use of certain drugs causes inflammation (isoniazid, D-penicillins, hydralazine, holes) - drug arthritis;
- bacteria are carried in the bloodstream or during surgery - infectious arthritis;
- a viral or bacterial infection of any localization can indirectly affect the joint tissues - this is reactive arthritis;
- acute trauma - recent damage (impact, bruise, capsule rupture).
Symptoms
The disease is characterized by an acute initial stage, that is, against the background of complete health, a person has a sharp pain in the joint. For autoimmune forms, symmetrical damage to small joints is characteristic - interphalangeal on the fingers, wrist, elbow.
Gout in the vast majority of cases begins with inflammation of the joint between the thumb and foot. In bacterial and reactive arthritis, large joints are usually affected on one side: the knee, hip, sacral (at the junction of the spine with the pelvic bones).
Rheumatism develops against a background of fever and general weakness, usually preceded by angina. Severe inflammation of the bone, cartilage and synovial membrane can occur with fever, general intoxication: headache, weakness, lack of appetite.
The skin over the joint turns red and feels hotter than other areas. Outwardly, it looks swollen and increases in volume. If the lesion occurred on only one side, then the difference between a healthy limb and a sick one is visible.
Restricted movement is associated with swelling and pain. If the joint cavity is slightly inflamed, then it works almost in full. With a pronounced pathological reaction, the entire synovial cavity can be filled with fluid - in this case, the mobility is sharply limited.
Treatment
Treatment is carried out by a general practitioner, rheumatologist or traumatologist - if the cause is mechanical damage. Therapy is aimed at eliminating the provoking factor and stopping inflammation.
For bacterial and reactive arthritis, antibiotics are needed, for autoimmune - cytostatics or glucocorticoids, for allergic - glucocorticoids and antihistamines.
Inflammatory fluid is removed with a syringe or special suction during arthroscopy. The joint is immobilized for the entire period of acute inflammation. After the patient is shown therapeutic exercises to restore the mobility of the joint.
Doctor's advice
From personal practice and work experience of colleagues - with inflammation in joints of any etiology, compresses with gelatin have shown themselves well. They are simple to implement and cheap. It is necessary to fold the gauze in several layers, the length and width should be such that there is enough for the sore joint. Immerse the folded gauze in hot water, squeeze, straighten. Pour a thin layer of gelatin on top, roll it up so that it is inside, like in a bag and does not spill out. Lay to the joint, wrap the top with a polyethylene bag, fix with a bandage and / or adhesive tape. You can wear a compress up to 3 hours, do 2 times a day for 2 weeks. Usually the effect is felt on the 4-5th day of use, but the therapy must be continued to achieve the desired result, if the course is interrupted, the pain will return.
What is arthrosis
Arthrosis (otherwise osteoarthritis) is a degenerative-dystrophic disease. It is based on a deterioration in the nutrition of the articular cartilage, a slowdown in its recovery and a gradual thinning.
Simply put, the cartilage layer wears off faster than it rebuilds. Bony articular surfaces are exposed. They are not as smooth as cartilage and rub against each other with effort when moving. Bone plates are partially destroyed, mild chronic inflammation develops.
As the disease progresses, bone spines grow in the joint - a protective tissue response to permanent damage. They interfere with the sliding of surfaces relative to each other, and the mobility of the joint is impaired.
Osteoarthritis in most people begins to progress after 30-40 years, lasts for years, its symptoms are mild or moderate.
Osteoarthritis of the vertebral joints is usually called osteochondrosis.
Reasons
There are predisposing factors that cause the development of pathology at an early age and complicate its course:
- heavy physical activity among athletes;
- obesity;
- history of joint injury;
- vascular disease;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- violation of the normal configuration of the joint, for example, with flat feet;
- prolonged exposure to vibration;
- in women - hormonal imbalance or menopause.
Symptoms
Large joints on one side are usually affected: knee, hip, sacral. The disease begins imperceptibly. At first, pain is rare and is associated with significant physical exertion.
Unpleasant sensations disappear on the same day or in a few days if the person is able to rest. As the disease progresses, the intensity of pain increases, it occurs even with normal daily stress.
The mobility of the joint gradually decreases and in the outcome of the disease it is completely lost. Movements in the diseased limb cause severe pain. Osteoarthritis can be aggravated by the type of arthritis - fluid accumulates in the joint cavity, the skin above it turns red and becomes hot. After the inflammatory reaction subsides, the course of the disease returns to its previous course.
Treatment
Arthrosis is treated by a traumatologist, orthopedist, sometimes a surgeon. Therapy is aimed at restoring metabolic processes in the cartilage, improving the nutrition of the joints, and eliminating the inflammatory response. Treatment is lifelong, can be continuous or courses of drugs.
In the interictal period, chondroprotectors are prescribed in the form of tablets and ointments, therapeutic exercises, massage. With an exacerbation, chondroprotectors are administered intravenously or intramuscularly together with analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. A traumatologist may inject protective drugs directly into the joint every few months.
Advanced stages of the disease require surgical intervention, during which the diseased joint is replaced with an artificial one.
Differences between diseases
| Feature | Arthritis | Arthrosis |
| Cause of illness | Inflammation | Cartilage degeneration |
| Flow | Acute, chronic with exacerbations | Chronic |
| Pain | Intense from the beginning, more pronounced in the morning | At the beginning of the disease, weak, gradually increasing. It intensifies in the evening and after exertion |
| Movements | It is necessary to "disperse" - in the morning after sleep the joints are the least mobile | Mobility decreases gradually, no morning stiffness |
| Affected joints | Small joints of hands and feet are symmetrically affected. Large ones suffer from bacterial infection | One or more large joints on different sides of the body |
| Blood test | Severe inflammatory changes in the general blood test, rheumatoid factor, C-reactive protein, antibodies to pathogens | No typical changes |
| X-ray | Staged changes, osteoporosis - bone loss, cysts in the bones | Gradual changes, deformation of the joint space, the appearance of bone spines and outgrowths. |
| Basic Treatment | Anti-inflammatories | Chondroprotectors |
A similar feature of both diseases is a progressive course with a gradual loss of mobility. Autoimmune arthritis often manifests itself at a young age, when a person is still frivolous about his health.
It must be remembered that any joint pain that lasts for a long time occurs under certain conditions - this is a serious reason to see a doctor. It is important to diagnose the disease in time and begin its treatment in order to slow down the development of the pathological process.