When you mention diseases such as arthritis, arthrosis, joint problems inevitably come to mind. Indeed, both of these pathologies are directly related to the musculoskeletal system, since the pathological process is localized in the articular joints. Both arthritis and arthrosis have similar symptoms. Many patients confuse these diseases and consider them to be one and the same pathology, however, they have fundamental differences.
What is arthritis and arthrosis and how do they differ?
Arthritis and arthrosis are common diagnoses in older patients. To understand the differences between these two pathologies, let’s consider what arthritis and arthrosis are and what the difference is between them.
A chronic disease of the joints, in which their gradual deformation is observed, is called arthrosis. A more correct name is osteoarthritis, since the pathological process involves not only cartilage, but ultimately also bone tissue.
The immediate cause of the disease is damage to the surfaces of the joint, as a result of which they wear out and cease to perform their functions. A typical manifestation of arthrosis is severe pain when moving the limb; as a result of the aggravation of the pathological process, the mobility of the joint is significantly limited. In an advanced stage, the joint may become immobile.
Arthrosis usually appears in people over forty-five years of age, but in rare cases it can affect the joints of young people. The disease develops mainly in women, and it also affects people who have congenital pathologies of the limbs. Arthrosis is caused by excess weight, joint surgery, and injuries, for example, to the hip or knee joint. Endogenous factors, such as poor nutrition or circulatory disorders in the joint, can also trigger the disease.
Arthritis is an inflammatory pathology localized in the joint. This is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis. Inflammation can appear as a result of infection of the joint, injury, and also due to degenerative changes in tissues. Like arthrosis, arthritis is characterized by joint pain that worsens with movement.
Lack of proper treatment leads to loss of mobility in the joint and its complete immobilization. Arthritis is easier to distinguish, since inflammation provokes redness of the skin at the site of the lesion and swelling. Note that arthritis is not an isolated pathology. This is a systemic disease that affects not only the musculoskeletal system. Arthritis typically affects the liver, kidneys, and heart. This is the main difference between arthritis and local arthrosis.
Signs
The symptoms of arthritis and arthrosis are largely similar, but they also have significant differences. Pain is an essential symptom that comes to the fore in both arthrosis and arthritis. The nature of the pain varies: with arthrosis, patients experience negative sensations during physical activity, as well as when the load on the damaged joint increases.
At the initial stage, the pain may not be severe. Because of this, patients do not always attach importance to such symptoms and do not pay attention to the first signs of pathology. At rest, the pain subsides. Only in the second and third stages pain is constantly present. However, if you position the limb well, the pain will subside. With arthritis, the pain does not subside, and the highest peak of its development is reached at night, closer to the morning.
Crunching is a typical characteristic of arthrosis and chronic arthritis.
A crunch occurs due to a decrease in the elasticity of cartilage tissue and an increase in friction between the articular surfaces. At the initial stage, you may notice a crunching of the fingers, and then larger joints are affected. A distinctive feature of joint crunching is the rough, dry sound produced by the joint.
Limitation of mobility in a joint and stiffness in movements are typical symptoms of arthrosis and arthritis, but for arthrosis, problems with joints differ in locality, i. e. a specific joint is affected, and with arthritis - a systemic pathology - discomfort is noted not only in the joints, but throughout the body.
Articular deformities are observed in both pathologies, but have distinctive features. With arthrosis, changes affect only the joint itself, and the inflammatory process in arthritis provokes changes in the skin - you can see swelling, redness, and hyperthermia. In addition, arthritis is accompanied by general somatic pathology: body temperature rises, a typical feverish state sets in, sweating increases, weakness and drowsiness appear. Conjunctivitis may begin, and chronic diseases may become more complicated. With arthrosis there are no such symptoms, but if arthrosis has developed, then inflammation will also accompany arthrosis.
A doctor must carefully differentiate the signs of arthritis and arthrosis, so if negative symptoms appear, consultation with a specialist is required.
Diagnostics
To begin treatment of the disease, correct diagnosis of arthritis or arthrosis is important. This can be done using various research techniques. Not all patients know which doctor deals with joint pathologies, so at the initial stage you can contact a rheumatologist or therapist, and then you will need to consult an orthopedist or surgeon.
Patients are required to undergo a blood test, which will demonstrate general changes in the body. If the results of a blood test do not show any abnormalities, then doctors are inclined towards arthrosis as a preliminary diagnosis.
If the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the blood plasma increases, rheumatoid arthritis is suspected, since there is a clear indication of an inflammatory process. Typically the rate increases above 25 mm/h. An additional confirming sign will be joint pain that worsens at night. To be fair, we note that an increase in ESR is also possible with arthrosis, if it is accompanied by inflammation.
An additional argument in favor of rheumatoid arthritis will be an increased number of leukocytes. Blood is also taken from a vein for rheumatological tests - the appearance of a special marker - C-reactive protein, which indicates inflammation. However, you should not rely only on a blood test, since it is impossible to reliably determine one of the diseases using this analysis. It is necessary to conduct additional research, constantly taking into account the presence of an inflammatory factor in the blood.
As additional tests, doctors prescribe the following to the patient:
- X-ray of the problem area;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- computed tomography;
- radioisotope scanning.
Doctors take into account tests, a carefully collected medical history and the results of a blood test, after which a particular disease is diagnosed.
Treatment
For the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis to be successful, it is necessary to choose the right treatment strategy. Note that it is not always possible to completely cure the disease, and in some cases long-term remission is considered a huge success.
In order to relieve exacerbation and prevent relapses of diseases, it is imperative to treat with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Medicines have a particularly powerful effect on the body with arthritis, and also affect the positive dynamics of arthrosis.
Features of the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are as follows:
- It is not recommended to take drugs for a long time, even if they do not cause negative effects during administration;
- patients with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, disorders of the liver, kidneys and heart are prohibited from taking NSAIDs;
- Do not increase the dosage of drugs without the doctor’s permission, since a negative reaction may occur if individual sensitivity occurs;
- When taking medications, you should take them with a large glass of water;
- when taking NSAIDs, it is prohibited to combine several drugs, as well as drink alcoholic beverages;
- Taking NSAIDs during pregnancy is prohibited.
When contacting a doctor, the patient will be prescribed effective treatment with the safest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after examination. Basically, all drugs in this group can be divided into cyclooxygenase inhibitors 1 and 2. COX-2 inhibitors are considered to be more loyal to the body drugs.
First and second generation inhibitors are included in many drugs. These are ointments, patches, gels and tablet preparations.
Drugs to relieve muscle spasms - muscle relaxants - will be useful in treatment. Typically, this often happens in patients suffering from arthrosis or arthritis. With severe pain in the joints, the muscles experience severe tension, and with prolonged discomfort they suffer from a lack of nutrition and oxygen, so it is very important to promptly relieve the discomfort that accompanies the disease.
During therapy, an indispensable condition is the normalization of metabolic processes. This becomes possible after the inflammation subsides and muscle spasm is relieved. Metabolic drugs for patients with arthritis and arthrosis are adenosine triphosphoric acid, inosine, adenosine phosphate, B vitamins, anabolic steroids.
To remove salts from arthrosis, a special series of medications are prescribed, as well as means to achieve an optimal acid-base balance.
In order to cure arthritis and arthrosis or achieve lasting positive dynamics, it is very important to take all medications recommended by your doctor. Moreover, this must be done according to the regimen prescribed by the doctor, because even the most effective metabolic agents against the background of an active inflammatory process will simply be useless.
Traditional treatment
Diseases such as arthritis and arthrosis can be treated not only with traditional drugs, but also with folk remedies. Massages with preparations based on natural ingredients will be useful. These are ointments with bee and snake venom. These preparations also include essential oils. During massage, you can add eucalyptus and ginger oil, ginger, marjoram, rosemary or juniper oil.
For arthritis and arthrosis, warm baths have a good relaxing effect. They will help relieve muscle pain and fatigue, and will help relax the body as a whole. The best composition is one drop of ginger oil and the same amount of benzoin styrax or two drops of marjoram and black pepper oil per one tablespoon of olive oil. Add 15–20 drops to the bath. The recipe helps well if the patient has arthrosis of the legs. Baths with oils can be done every evening at night.
Black poplar also has an excellent effect. Not all patients know how to treat arthritis and arthrosis with black poplar, but it is very simple to do. From a healthy tree, you need to collect rot, young leaves and shoots - about half a bucket, after which it is all poured with boiling water to the edge of the container and kept overnight. In the morning, the liquid is carefully poured into the bath, leaving the cake, and immersed in it for half an hour. After a bath, it is advisable to warm yourself up and lie down in bed for an hour.
Folk remedies are of great help even if the patient is struck by arthrosis - a severe combination of bone deformities along with the inflammatory process in the articular joint. To treat, you need to take a glass of spruce needles and fill them with two liters of water. It is necessary to boil the product for fifteen minutes, after which the broth is poured into the bath and taken until the water cools completely.
Senna leaves will help with arthritis and arthrosis. If the patient regularly treats the disease with this remedy, the inflammation quickly goes away. Senna is used as follows: two glasses of the dry component are poured with a liter of boiling water and sealed for forty minutes. Then the liquid is poured into the bath, sea salt is added there and taken until the water is at the optimal temperature. After the bath, areas of damage due to arthrosis or arthritis are treated with fir oil and wrapped in a scarf.
Prevention
As preventative measures, doctors give patients the following advice:
- completely treat all infectious pathologies, do not interrupt the course of therapy with antibacterial drugs, so as not to leave pockets of inflammation in the body;
- adhere to a balanced diet;
- wear comfortable shoes that do not restrict your feet;
- get rid of excess weight, which creates additional stress on the limbs;
- do not overcool your feet, take care in wet weather and cold seasons;
- protect yourself from injuries, and when actively playing sports, use special bandages, supports, and elastic bandages;
- perform daily gymnastics, take walks in the fresh air to activate blood circulation in the body, and when the first symptoms of arthritis or arthrosis are detected, perform special joint gymnastics - exercises for the hands, ankles, knees.
Arthritis and arthrosis are severe lesions of the articular surfaces. If treated incorrectly or untimely, they can lead to disability, so doctors strongly recommend that you consult a doctor at the first symptoms of the disease.