Joint pain can make life unbearable.After visiting the doctor, a record of diagnosed arthrosis or arthritis will appear in the outpatient record.
People who are far from medicine have no idea about the difference between arthritis and arthrosis and mistakenly believe that they are the same disease.
In fact, these are two completely different pathological processes that can occur simultaneously.
Arthrosis
Arthrosis refers to degenerative-inflammatory processes and develops due to age-related changes in the cartilage tissue structure.
It affects the movable joints of large bones, and less often the joints of the fingers.
Appearance of a joint with arthrosis
The main cause of pathological changes are metabolic disorders in the cartilage.Cartilage trophism injury leads to irreversible loss of proteoglycans and loss of tissue elasticity.
Dystrophic changes in the cartilage lead to pathological changes in the structure of the articular surfaces of the bones.Over time, the degeneration process spreads to the periarticular tissues.
Types of arthrosis
Based on the origin, primary and secondary arthrosis are distinguished.
The primary form affects previously healthy joints and is a consequence of age changes and inadequate physical activity.The time of appearance of the first symptoms of arthrosis depends on hereditary predisposition, characteristics of professional activity and lifestyle.
Traditionally, people over the age of 45 have been considered at risk, but now there is a steady trend toward early incidence.The disease affects mainly women, but with age, gender dependence gradually smooths out.
Secondary arthrosis develops on the background of a previous injury or certain diseases of a different nature, including:
- autoimmune processes;
- metabolic disorders;
- endocrine dysfunction;
- pathologies of the structure of bone joints;
- genetic diseases;
- inflammatory processes.
Secondary arthrosis is not related to the aging process and can appear at any age.
There are three stages in the development of the disease.
In the first phase, there are changes in the joint fluid.Cartilage nutrition is disturbed, and its resistance to stress decreases.Roughness appears on the surface of the cartilage, and inflammation develops accompanied by pain.
As the disease progresses to the second stage, pain becomes common, and the course of the accompanying inflammation becomes wavy.Cartilage begins to deteriorate, and compensatory bone growths form at the edges of the joint area.Periarticular muscles are involved in pathological processes.
The third stage is characterized by severe depletion of articular cartilage with areas of complete tissue destruction.Degenerative processes lead to irreversible anatomical changes, including changes in the limb axis.The function of the ligament apparatus is disturbed, abnormal mobility appears in the affected joint against the background of limited natural mobility.
Depending on the location of the lesion, they differ:
- gonarthrosis,
- coxarthrosis,
- spondyloarthrosis,
- arthrosis of the interphalangeal joints of the hands.
Other localizations of the pathology are relatively rare.
Gonarthrosis, arthrosis of the knee joint
Risk factors for the development of this disease include hereditary predisposition, overuse or injuries to the knees due to occupational characteristics.
According to statistics, arthrosis lesions in the knee joints are more often diagnosed in women.
In the early stages of development, the disease is manifested by discomfort in the affected joint and pain.Depending on the causes of the lesion, several forms of gonarthrosis are distinguished.
Some of them are characterized by a long-term lack of progression;the patient's condition remains stable for decades.However, there are also those that develop quickly and lead to loss of mobility of the affected limb.
Coxaarthrosis, arthrosis of the hip joint
In this disease, the classic clinical picture of arthrosis is observed.
The first symptom of coxarthrosis is discomfort in the hip joint after physical activity.
With progressive coxarthrosis, pain increases, stiffness and limited mobility appear.
Patients with a severe form of coxarthrosis spare the affected extremity, avoiding stepping on it, and while resting they choose positions in which the pain is least felt.
Spinal arthrosis, spondyloarthrosis
Spondyloarthrosis refers to pathologies that develop against the background of degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs.
The first and main symptom of the development of spinal arthrosis is pain when bending from one side to the other or back and forth.
When a person takes a horizontal position, the pain gradually decreases.
Over time, in the absence of adequate treatment, the mobility of the affected part of the spine can be completely lost.
Without proper treatment, spinal arthrosis can cause intervertebral hernias and joint deformation.In severe cases, the patient loses the ability to perform normal movements and becomes disabled.
Arthrosis of the interphalangeal joints of the hands
The disease primarily affects women.Among the early symptoms of arthrosis are pain when touching cold water and when straining the fingers.Over time, the joints are deformed due to the compaction of adjacent tissues and the formation of characteristic bony growths.
The disease has an undulating course, in the acute stage the joints swell, partially lose mobility, tactile sensitivity may be disturbed.
Treatment of arthrosis
It is impossible to completely cure arthrosis with modern medicine.However, timely diagnosis and complex therapy aimed at preventing further destruction of cartilage tissue help stabilize the condition of the affected joint and significantly improve the patient's quality of life.
First of all, it is necessary to reduce the load on the musculoskeletal system.Doctors recommend avoiding carrying heavy objects, staying in one position for a long time and limiting time on your feet.It is vital for overweight patients to lose weight.
The following drugs are used in the treatment of arthrosis:
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, internally in the form of injections or tablets and externally as part of an ointment.The form and mode of use are prescribed depending on the patient's condition;
- drugs from the group of chondroprotectors for maintaining the condition of cartilage tissue;
- steroid anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of intra-articular injections.It is prescribed in severe cases;
- hyaluronic acid preparations for improving joint mobility.
In addition, heating compresses and ointments, drugs that activate blood microcirculation and metabolic processes, antioxidants and microelement-vitamin complexes with selenium are used, and physiotherapeutic treatment is also prescribed.In severe cases, it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention.
During the period of remission, the patient is recommended a course of exercise therapy, selected in accordance with the characteristics of the course of the disease.
Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that occurs as an underlying disease, accompanying pathology or as a complication of a previous infectious disease.
Appearance of arthritic joints
Among the typical causes of inflammatory processes in the joints:
- metabolic disorders in the body;
- lack of vitamins;
- injuries;
- autoimmune diseases;
- infectious lesions of different etiology.
Unlike arthrosis, pathological processes in arthritis affect periarticular tissues.The onset of pain does not depend on physical activity and body position, and it often bothers you at night.
Noises in the joints, characteristic of the early stage of arthrosis, are rarely observed.A general blood test indicates the presence of an inflammatory process;when examining the joints, characteristic degenerative cartilage changes are rarely detected.
A common symptom of both diseases is pain.Any unusual and unpleasant sensations in the joints are a good reason to consult a doctor.The success of the treatment largely depends on the timely detection and treatment of the disease.
Types of arthritis
According to their appearance, arthritis is divided into several types:
- infectious arthritis.They develop as independent diseases due to infection of wounds (primary infectious arthritis) or when the pathogen enters the bloodstream from organs affected by the infection (secondary arthritis);
- rheumatoid arthritis.This chronic disease is of infectious-autoimmune origin and usually develops in middle-aged and elderly people;
- gouty arthritis.The inflammatory process is caused by microtraumatization of the cartilage surface by uric acid salt crystals formed in the joint capsule;
- traumatic arthritisdevelops as a reaction to trauma, but may develop several years after its consequences have been removed;
- juvenile rheumatoid arthritisaffects children under 16 years of age.The causes of this disease are not yet known.The course is chronic, progressive.
The course of arthritis can be acute or chronic.In the acute course, the disease develops quickly, with severe swelling, severe pain in the affected area, local or general temperature rise.
With chronic arthritis, the symptoms gradually increase, and the disease can progress for years.With untimely or inappropriate treatment, acute arthritis can become chronic.
According to the characteristics of the lesion, monoarthritis and polyarthritis are distinguished.In monoarthritis, the lesion is localized on one of the joints;when several joints are involved in the pathological process, a diagnosis of polyarthritis is made.
Treatment of arthritis
The treatment strategy for arthritis depends on the causes of the disease and the severity of the patient's condition.In infectious arthritis, patients are prescribed a course of antibiotics or other drugs, according to the nature of the pathogen.
To eliminate inflammation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used in the form of injections, tablets and/or externally in the form of ointment or gel.
In addition, drugs from the group of chondroprotectors, antihistamines and general restorative agents can be prescribed.In some cases, patients are prescribed drugs that improve blood microcirculation.
In addition to drug treatment, patients are prescribed a course of physiotherapeutic procedures and, in the period of remission, a set of exercise therapy exercises.
In severe and advanced cases, surgery may be required.
Without professional help, arthritis and arthrosis can lead to disability.
Self-treatment of joint diseases is contraindicated;in the vast majority of cases, the patient's condition progressively worsens.
Any change in joint functionality is a reason to visit a doctor.
Prevention measures
For the prevention of arthritis and arthrosis, it is important to optimize physical activity, avoiding overload.People who have been diagnosed with the disease, as well as those at risk, should adjust their diet in favor of healthy food, reduce alcohol consumption and stop smoking.
People prone to obesity are advised to maintain a normal body weight, because an increased load on the musculoskeletal system can cause or accelerate pathological changes.
For timely detection of the disease in the early stages, it is important to undergo regular preventive examinations.