The joints have two main "enemies" that counteract the full work. These are diseases arthritis and osteoarthritis, despite the similar names, the nature of the ongoing 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 or nerve endings, so it can be strong and withstand heavy loads. This softens the effect on those tissues that have nerve fibers or blood capillaries.
When the body moves, the cartilage provides unobstructed and painless rotation of the bone heads in the joints, reducing friction damage to zero. When jumping, the cartilage tissue acts as shock absorbers, absorbing the inertial load.
Arthritis and osteoarthritis "limit" the work of the joints and prevent full movement. Some of the symptoms of these diseases are similar, others are radically different.
Physiological processes in arthritis
When a person begins to experience pain in a particular joint, it may indicate the onset of a disease such as arthritis. This disease means inflammation of the cartilage.
The disease can affect all components of the joint:
- the synovial membrane located at the edges;
- synovial fluid, which nourishes the tissues and acts as a lubricant;
- joint capsule.
Patients with arthritis complain of acute pain, for example in the knee, limiting the mobility of the limbs. Fever and redness of the inflamed area are typical. The pain can be "steamed", affecting a similar joint of the other limb.
A constant sign of the disease is visually discernible swelling of the outer tissue.
Despite the reduction in the functionality of the joint, its internal structure does not change. It is just an inflammation of the cartilage caused by metabolic disorders, infection or provoked by trauma, which with proper treatment can be eliminated without further degradation of the joint itself.
Physiological processes in osteoarthritis
This disease is more associated with internal changes in the joint. Because there are no blood vessels in the cartilage, it is nourished and restored by the synovial fluid, which contains the necessary beneficial chemicals.
With age, metabolic processes slow down and cartilage tissue, receiving less food, begins to wear out faster than to recover. This leads to its thinning.
The decaying thin cartilage is no longer able to absorb 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 related to age and is related to individual lifestyle characteristics (proper eating habits and intake of additional maintenance substances can serve as a good prevention and delay the onset of the disease for a long time).
The breakdown of cartilage tissue leads to pain that is painful. No swelling or redness.
Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects a specific joint. There is no parallel development in the same place in the adjacent limb. The disease often "chooses" a large "knot" in the anatomy. This can be the hip or knee joint.
Similar and different characteristics - briefly about the main
Arthritis and osteoarthritis have similarities in the manifestation of some of the symptoms. They are:
- stiffness after waking up, tingling sensation in the joint;
- loss of complete motor function in the limb;
- pain syndrome, which makes the performance of elementary actions unpleasant.
Despite the general symptoms and the nature of the sensations, their number and location, they can understand what type of disease they are associated with. Differences in disease manifestations will help to more accurately identify the diagnosis.
So, what is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis:
- The first has a clear rise in body temperature against the background of inflammation. In the second disease, this is not due to the gradual and imperceptible development of degenerative processes.
- Arthritis has a pronounced swelling of the tissues. In the case of osteoarthritis, this symptom is absent.
- Inflammation of the 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. Osteoarthritis actually makes the joint inoperable (in the final stage).
- In arthritis, there is redness of the skin around the affected joint. Osteoarthritis is not characterized by a change in skin pigmentation.
Detailed differences and similarities
Upon closer examination of the symptoms, you can highlight the nuances that help determine the "enemy" that struck the joint. Below are the main symptoms of diseases with the main 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 course of the disease. It has a sharp character. Sometimes patients can feel it at night or in the morning. Painful sensations cause suffering regardless of the type of human action.
The pain of osteoarthritis is associated with the breakdown of cartilage and the inability to fully fulfill its purpose. The softening and softening of the friction are not performed at an appropriate level, due to which the bone apparatus is injured.
Painful pain and occur more often after a long walk or other load on the affected joint. In the initial stage, the pain may be mild, but the picture changes as the disease progresses.
Deformation
Both diseases affect the structure of the joint apparatus. Physiological changes in arthritis are more visual. That:
- swelling;
- the formation of nodes;
- redness of the skin;
- temperature.
Arthritis may be accompanied by: psoriasis, increased sweating and weakness. Only certain types of diseases (traumatic and osteoarthritis) can change the structural structure of the anatomical node.
In arthritic manifestations, the joint looks as usual on the outside, but irreversible processes take place inside. The cartilage layer becomes thinner, which leads to an increasing load on the bone tissue.
Inflammatory process
Arthritic manifestations are characterized by swelling in the affected joint.
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 osteoarthritis, the leukocyte mass is normal due to the lack of an inflammatory process. Degenerative changes go smoothly, often unnoticed by the patient.
Crunching and clicking
A crunchy sound in the joint is a sure sign of osteoarthritis. This is due to the deterioration of cartilage and the painful interaction of bone tissue. In healthy people, all joints sometimes crunch. The difference between the affected area is that the sound will be "dry" and "rough".
Arthritis does not matter because the swollen joint is restricted in movement, and its cartilage still protects bone tissue from painful interactions.
Joint mobility
The restriction of joint work combines the symptoms of these diseases. But there is a significant difference in the nature of the violation.
In arthritic pathology, the range of motion decreases, but this happens gradually as the cartilage wears out. Arthritis is characterized by extensive stiffness that paralyzes joint function. This is due to swelling and inflammation.
Common and different reasons for development
These diseases can develop due to injuries received while jumping or running. Joint disease can be provoked by a strong and prolonged load. This is the "professional" legacy of many athletes. Delayed hypothermia is another factor contributing 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 in which the arthritic manifestation will be only a consequence, for the treatment of which it is necessary to find and remove the original source. Another cause of arthritis can be being overweight, which overloads the joints on a daily basis.
Osteoarthritis is a separate disease that is not related to general health. It can develop due to the poor quality of nutrition and the delivery of insufficient amounts of necessary substances to the cartilage tissue. This can be facilitated by hormonal disorders and circulatory disorders that impair the supply of other tissues. More often the disease "accompanies" the elderly.
Risk area
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 this, aged 35-55 years.
Osteoarthritis is an extremely "old" disease. Structural changes in cartilage tissue occur after 60 years. This is due to poor metabolic process and other aging factors. People with arthritis are more likely to develop osteoarthritis.
Being overweight, improper diet 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:
- establishing a gentle regimen that eliminates stress on the affected joints;
- taking drugs that nourish cartilage tissue and restore its volume;
- massage in combination with physiotherapy exercises that improve blood flow to the affected area and natural metabolism;
- pain relief with painkillers;
- intra-articular blockade;
- oxygenation of the joint;
- special complex dishes.
The difference between treatment is a course of antibiotics in the case of infectious arthritis to eliminate the root cause of the disease.
In arthritic manifestations, surgery is a separate way to eliminate the disease. This is required in case of complete destruction of cartilage. In such a situation, it is replaced with a prosthetic joint.
Disease prevention
The following can be distinguished as preventive measures for the two diseases:
- Moderate stress. Take time for the cardio group to exercise several times a week. This promotes joint mobility without undue stress, as in the case of lifting a barbell.
- Do not overcool.
- Eat right. Food should be rich in trace elements and vitamins.
- Maintain a healthy weight so that your joints do not wear out prematurely.
- Avoid joint injuries. Avoid jumping from great heights and lifting weights.
- In old age walking with a cane, which reduces the load on the legs, where disease can develop.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
For arthritis, additional prevention will be the rapid diagnosis and treatment of any infectious disease that will prevent the inflammation from spreading elsewhere.