All joints in the human body have two enemies that prevent them from working fully. These are osteoarthritis and arthritis, however, despite the fact that they have a similarity in name, these are two different pathological processes that affect the cartilaginous tissue of the joints. Below we will examine how osteoarthritis differs from arthritis.
As you know, cartilage ensures the functioning of the joints. Cartilage is strong, sturdy due to the fact that it lacks blood vessels and nerve endings. Thanks to him, stress in the tissues, where there are capillaries or nerve fibers, is relieved.
When a person is on the move, cartilage tissue promotes painless, unobstructed rotation of the bone heads into the joint cavity, thus preventing joint damage from friction. During jumping, walking, the cartilage softens the load, performing the function of shock absorption.
Osteoarthritis and arthritis lead to joint stiffness, which prevents a person from leading a normal life due to limited movement. There are a number of symptoms in which the two diseases are similar, but there are many other symptoms that are completely different.
Physiological processes caused by arthritis
The first symptom of the disease is joint pain. With arthritis, the process of inflammation of cartilage tissue begins.
In the joint, arthritis affects:
- joint capsule;
- synovial fluid, which lubricates and nourishes the tissues and cavity of the joints;
- located along the edges of the synovial membrane.
Patients diagnosed with arthritis often complain of joint pain, stiffness. The inflamed area begins to turn red, and the temperature also rises at the site of arthritis or polyarthritis. In some cases, the pain syndrome is also felt in the paired joint in the other arm or leg.
One symptom that bothers the patient in the presence of arthritis and polyarthritis is swelling of the external tissues of the joint.
However, despite the fact that the functions are reduced, the deformation of the structure does not occur. Arthritis causes the appearance of an inflammatory process of cartilage tissue, provoked by trauma, infection or metabolic disorders. This disease is completely curable, but only on condition that the patient adheres to the doctor's recommendations during treatment and does not use unverified folk remedies for arthritis. If this process is allowed to take its course, the disease will lead to joint degradation.
Physiological processes caused by osteoarthritis
The presence of osteoarthritis or spondyloarthritis leads to pathological processes occurring in the joint cavity. Since there are no vessels in the cartilage tissue, it feeds on synovial fluid, which contains many elements.
When a person reaches old age, metabolic processes in his body begin to slow down, as a result of which the nutrition of cartilage deteriorates, which leads to its deterioration.
Cartilage with different types of osteoarthritis becomes thinner and can not cope with the shock-absorbing functions. For this reason, patients begin to feel pain syndrome the moment the wrist is involved.
In this case, it makes no sense to take anti-inflammatory medication for osteoarthritis, as there is no inflammatory process. This disease occurs in older people. Its occurrence is influenced by a person’s lifestyle. Those people who eat well, lead a healthy lifestyle, osteoarthritis, as a rule, does not appear.
Also, another factor in how arthritis differs from osteoarthritis is that, unlike the first, with the second disease there is no edema, tissue redness.
Also, osteoarthritis varies in what affects a specific joint. If it touches a node on one arm, then it will not be on the other. It often occurs in large joints such as the hip or knee.
Different and similar characteristics of diseases
Similar symptoms:
- in the morning, a person feels numbness and stiffness in the joint;
- loss of complete limb movement;
- pain when moving the affected joint.
These are natural symptoms in two diseases, but the pain has a different character, the place of occurrence, the duration of the sensations are different. As a rule, the doctor relies on these indications when making a diagnosis.
Differences between osteoarthritis and arthritis
- With arthritis at the site of the affected joint, an increase in skin temperature is observed, this process is caused by inflammation. But with osteoarthritis, despite the fact that the degenerative process is taking place, this symptom is absent.
- Arthritis leads to swelling of the upper tissues, with the second disease this symptom is absent.
- The presence of polyarthritis, arthritis due to inflammation can lead to subcutaneous joints. Such symptoms are not natural in osteoarthritis.
- Osteoarthritis causes a deformity process in the joint and if left untreated (using oils for osteoarthritis or other methods), it will become non-surgical. The presence of polyarthritis or arthritis does not lead to deformity.
- Due to inflammation in arthritis, the skin in the affected area is redder. The second disease does not change skin color.
Similar signs and their 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 sensations
As mentioned above, pain syndrome occurs in both diseases. However, arthritis should be characterized by the presence of inflammation leading to pain. The very nature of the pain is acute and can also appear at night or immediately after waking up.
Many people make the situation worse when they use a new miracle cream or medicine advertised on the Internet to treat polyarthritis. Any good doctor will tell you that you can not independently prescribe treatment for arthritis.
In connection with osteoarthritis, pain occurs due to degradation of cartilage tissue, as a result of which it is unable to soften the load. When there is no depreciation, the bone apparatus is damaged.
A person feels aching pain after long walks or when doing exercises that place a load on the joints. When the disease first appeared, the patient may feel slight discomfort, but as the disease progresses, the condition only worsens. In this case, you should not only take pills or other medicines for osteoarthritis, the treatment should be complex and carried out under the supervision of a doctor.
The process of deformation
Both diseases can change the structure of the joint. Arthritis can be recognized by external physiological changes that are evident on visual inspection: an increase in local temperature, redness, swelling, and joint formation.
Often, arthritis is accompanied by: weakness, increased sweating, psoriasis. Only certain types of arthritis can lead to a change in joint structure - these are osteoarthritis and traumatic arthritis.
Arthrosis is considered a more insidious disease as it does not show up outside. However, active tissue deformation occurs in the joint cavity. The cartilage becomes thinner, and, as a result, the bone tissue is exposed to unusual stress.
Inflammation
With arthritis, swelling appears in the area of the affected joint. The reason for this is the inflamed synovial film, which is located in the middle of the capsule. During the examination of the patient's analysis, an increased level of leukocytes is found. As a rule, the presence of infection or damage leads to the appearance of an inflammatory process.
Arthrosis does not lead to an increase in leukocytes, as there is no inflammation. The process of degeneration begins gradually, and often a person does not even notice any symptoms.
Clicks and chewing
A symptom of osteoarthritis is a crisis in a sore joint. The reason for this is the consumed cartilage tissue, which causes pain during bone tissue interaction. But oppression does not always indicate the presence of a disease, a healthy person can also hear clicks. With osteoarthritis, the sound will be harsh and dry.
With arthritis, there is no crisis, as as a result of inflammation, the joint swells and can not move completely, cartilage tissue performs its functions.
Joint mobility
Both of these diseases have a common symptomatology even in that they restrict the movement of the joints. However, the reasons for rigidity are different.
A decrease in the motor activity of the arthritic joint is caused by the thinning of the cartilage tissue, while at the beginning of the disease there is no such symptom at all. In arthritis, stiffness is caused by inflammation and is widespread. The node is completely paralyzed.
General and specific causes of occurrence
Common causes of illness are injuries that a person has received while running or jumping. Also, regular and heavy joint loading can lead to this. For this reason, diseases are more commonly found in professional athletes. Another reason is severe or frequent hypothermia, this often happens to the joints of the limbs.
Arthritis occurs as a result of inflammation caused by the appearance of an infection in the body; this is not typical of osteoarthritis. Since inflammation is a whole body process, arthritis is just a consequence. To cure the disease, it is necessary to discover the cause of the onset of the inflammatory process and eliminate it. Also, being overweight can lead to the onset of arthritis due to the fact that it puts stress on the joints. In this case, the joints of the lower extremities and the musculoskeletal system are at risk.
Osteoarthritis is a special disease, as this process has nothing to do with the general condition of the body. The reasons for its occurrence are hidden in a small amount of substances entering the body due to improper nutrition. Also, bad habits, such as smoking and alcohol abuse, can provoke illness. Often its appearance is promoted by diseases of the circulatory tract and hormonal disorders. According to statistics, mostly older people suffer from osteoarthritis.
Who is at risk
A person at any age is susceptible to arthritis. The disease resulting from the infection also affects infants. According to statistics, women are more likely to suffer from arthritis.
As for osteoarthritis, the elderly suffer from it. As a rule, the deformation of the cartilage tissue structure begins at the age of over 60 years. The fact is that the older a person is, the slower the metabolic processes in the body, this is also influenced by the lifestyle of the person. And by the way, those who have arthritis are more susceptible to osteoarthritis.
The risk group includes people who have bad habits, expose their body to regular physical activity and eat poorly.
Common in the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis
For the treatment of these diseases, partly the same measures are taken:
- the patient should exclude any stress, establish a frugal regimen;
- take medications that restore cartilage volume and nourish it;
- perform exercise therapy along with massage to improve metabolic processes in the body and blood flow to the diseased joint;
- use of pain relievers for pain relief;
- the doctor prescribes intra-articular blockade in the form of injections;
- articulation of the joint;
- the patient switches 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.
As the stage progresses, they resort to surgery as a treatment. This need arises when cartilage tissue is completely destroyed. In this case, a prosthetic joint is installed.