The boards have two main "enemies" who oppose the work being done. They are arthritis and arthrosis diseases; despite similar names, the essence of the ongoing pathological processes is different. The area affected by these diseases is cartilage.
Cartilage plays an important role in joint health. It has no blood vessels and nerve endings, so it can be strong and bear heavy loads. This smoothes the effect on tissues in which there are nerve fibers or blood capillaries.
When the body moves, cartilage provides free and painless rotation of the heads of bones in the joints, reducing friction damage to zero. When jumping, the cartilaginous tissue acts as a shock absorber, absorbing the inertial charge.
Arthritis and arthrosis "snag" the work of the joints and interfere with complete movement. Some of the symptoms of these illnesses are similar, others differ radically.
Physiological Processes in Arthritis
When a person begins to experience pain in a particular joint, it can indicate the onset of a disease such as arthritis. This disease means cartilage inflammation.
The disease can affect all components of the joint:
- the synovial membrane located along the edges;
- synovial fluid that nourishes tissues and acts as a lubricant;
- joint capsule.
Arthritic patients complain of acute pain, eg in the knee, limited limb mobility. Fever and redness of the inflamed area are characteristic. The pain can be "severe" affecting a similar joint in the other limb.
A constant sign of the disease is visually distinguishable external tissue swelling.
Despite the reduced functionality of the joint, its internal structure does not change. It is just an inflammation of the cartilage, caused by metabolic disturbances, infection or caused by trauma, which, 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. As cartilage lacks blood vessels, it is nourished and rebuilt by synovial fluid, which contains the necessary beneficial chemicals.
With age, metabolic processes slow down and cartilage tissue, receiving less nutrition, begins to wear out faster than it recovers. This leads to your thinning.
Thin decaying cartilage is no longer able to cushion well under stress, so osteoarthritis patients experience pain when walking or working with the affected joint.
Inflammatory processes are not observed. The disease is exclusively related to age and associated with individual lifestyle characteristics (correct eating habits and the intake of additional auxiliary substances can serve as a good prevention and delay the onset of the disease for a long time).
Degradation of cartilage tissue leads to pain of a painful nature. There is no swelling or redness.
Arthrosis is a disease that affects a specific joint. There is no parallel development at the same location on the adjacent member. The disease often "picks up" a big "knot" in the anatomy. It could be the hip or knee joint.
Similar and different features - briefly about the main
Arthritis and arthrosis are similar in the manifestation of some of the symptoms. They are:
- stiffness on waking, feeling of numbness in the joint;
- loss of complete motor function in the limb;
- pain syndrome that makes performing elementary actions unpleasant.
Despite the general symptoms and the nature of the sensations, their number and place, they can tell what kind of illness they are related to. Differences in disease manifestations will help to identify the diagnosis more accurately.
So what is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis:
- The first shows a clear increase in body temperature in a context of inflammation. In the second disease, this is not due to the gradual and imperceptible development of degenerative processes.
- Arthritis has pronounced tissue swelling. In the case of arthrosis, this symptom is absent.
- Inflammation of cartilage tissue can lead to the formation of subcutaneous nodules. The second disease does not cause this anomaly.
- Arthritis does not lead to anatomical deformities. Arthrosis, in fact, makes the joint incapacitated (at an extreme stage).
- In arthritis, there is redness of the skin around the affected joint. Arthrosis is not distinguished by a change in skin pigmentation.
Detailing differences and similarities
Taking a closer look at the symptoms, you can highlight the nuances that help identify the "enemy" who hit the joint. Below are the main symptoms of diseases with the main similar and individual manifestations.
pain syndrome
Painful sensations are inherent to both illnesses. But because arthritis is associated with joint inflammation, pain is an integral part of the course of any disease. She has a sharp character. Sometimes patients can feel this at night or in the morning. Painful sensations cause suffering, regardless of the person's type of actions.
Arthrosis pain is associated with cartilage degradation and the inability to fully fulfill its purpose. Damping and friction mitigation are not performed at the proper level, therefore, the bone apparatus is damaged.
Painful pain and most often appears after a long walk or other load on the affected joint. In the early stage the pain may be subtle, but the picture changes as the illness progresses.
Deformation
Both diseases affect the structure of the joint apparatus. The physiological changes in arthritis are more visual in nature. This:
- swelling;
- the formation of nodules;
- redness of the skin;
- temperature.
Arthritis can be accompanied by: psoriasis, increased sweating and weakness. Only some types of diseases (traumatic and osteoarthritis) can change the structural structure of the anatomical node.
With arthritic manifestations, externally the articulation seems usual, but irreversible processes take place inside. The cartilage layer becomes thinner, which leads to an increased load on the bone tissue.
Inflammatory process
Arthritic manifestations are characterized by swelling in the affected joint area.
This is due to inflammation of the synovial film itself, which is inside the joint capsule. A blood test shows elevated white blood cells in such patients.
Inflammation can be caused by injury or infection.
In arthrosis, the leukocyte mass is normal, due to the absence of an inflammatory process. Degenerative changes go smoothly, often unnoticed by the patient.
Crunch and clicks
A crunchy sound in the joint is a clear sign of osteoarthritis. This is due to cartilage deterioration and the painful interaction of bone tissue. In healthy people, all the joints sometimes contract. The difference between the affected area 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
The limitation of working together 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 happens gradually as the cartilage wears away. Arthritis is characterized by extensive stiffness that paralyzes the work of the joint. This is due to swelling and inflammation.
Common and various causes of development
These illnesses can develop due to injuries sustained while jumping or running. Joint disease can be caused by a strong and prolonged load. 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 that has entered the body, which is not typical of osteoarthritis. This is a general inflammation, where the arthritic manifestation will only be a consequence, for the treatment of which it is necessary to find and eliminate the original source. Another cause of arthritis can be being overweight, which puts a strain on your joints on a daily basis.
Osteoarthritis is a separate disease, unrelated to general health conditions. It can develop due to poor quality of nutrition and insufficient supply of necessary substances to the cartilage tissue. This can be facilitated by hormonal disturbances and circulatory tract diseases, which impair the supply of other tissues. More often, the disease "accompanies" the elderly.
risk zone
A person of any age can develop arthritis. As a result of the infection, it can affect the joints of even young children. Often, the beautiful half of humanity suffers from it, at the age of 35-55 years.
Osteoarthritis is an exclusively "old" disease. Structural changes in cartilage tissue occur after 60 years. This is due to a deteriorating metabolic process and other aging factors. People with arthritis are more likely to develop arthrosis.
Excess weight, poor diet, and heavy exercise increase the likelihood of developing both diseases.
treatment approach
In the diagnosis of these diseases, a partially similar treatment is prescribed, which consists of:
- establishing a preservation regimen that excludes stress on affected joints;
- taking medications that nourish cartilage tissue and restore its volume;
- massage in combination with physical therapy exercises, which improves blood flow to the painful site and natural metabolism;
- pain relief with analgesics;
- intra-articular block;
- joint oxygenation;
- special complex meals.
The difference between treatment is a course of antibiotics in case of infectious arthritis to remove the root cause of the disease.
For arthritic manifestations, surgical intervention is a separate way of eliminating the disease. This is necessary in case of complete cartilage destruction. In such a situation, it is replaced by a prosthetic joint.
Disease prevention
As preventive measures for both diseases, the following can be distinguished:
- Moderate stress. Set aside time for group cardio exercises several times a week. This promotes joint mobility without unnecessary stress such as lifting a barbell.
- Don't get too cold.
- Eat properly. Food must be rich in trace elements and vitamins.
- Maintain a healthy weight so your joints don't wear out prematurely.
- Avoid joint injuries. Avoid jumping from great heights and lifting weights.
- In old age, walking with a cane, which reduces the weight on the leg, where an illness can develop.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
For arthritis, the additional prevention will be rapid diagnosis and treatment of any infectious disease, which will prevent the inflammation from spreading elsewhere.