Human musculoskeletal system is often affected by diseases such as arthritis and arthrosis.Due to the similar names, patients confuse these diagnoses, although in fact there is little in common between them.
Despite all the differences, only a specialist can accurately determine the disease after a series of examinations and tests, so you should not postpone a visit to the clinic at the first signs of joint pathology.Let's consider in detail the symptoms, specific development and treatment methods of arthrosis and arthritis.
Features of the mechanism of disease development
Development of arthrosis
Arthrosis (or osteoarthritis) is a chronic degenerative disease of the joints, most often caused by age-related changes in the body.Wear of the joint causes degenerative processes: bone growths ("salt deposits"), friction and trauma in the cartilage, replacement of joint tissues with connective or ossified tissues.The disease develops slowly, gradually, at first only mild discomfort and crunching are felt in the joint.
Osteoarthritis is most common in the elderly, but professional athletes and people with injuries are also at risk.The disease usually affects one or more large joints.
The development of arthritis
Arthritis, unlike arthrosis, is inflammatory in nature and can occur in a person of any age.This disease is systemic and can affect both joints and other human organs: heart, kidneys, nervous system.Arthritis manifests itself very clearly - even a non-specialist will notice it.
Arthritis most often occurs against the background of an infectious or bacterial disease, but it can also be a symptom of autoimmune pathologies.
If inflammation in the joints is caused by the activity of pathogenic bacteria or infection, the disease most often begins acutely, but it can affect many joints at the same time, involving both large and small joints in the process.
Both diseases can cause acquired chronic pain, which is now considered an independent clinical syndrome.
Comparison of arthrosis and arthritis
| Comparative characteristics | Arthrosis | Arthritis |
|---|---|---|
| The age of affairs | In most cases - 65-75 years | Any |
| The reason | Degenerative-dystrophic changes due to metabolic disorders, deterioration of joint blood supply | An inflammatory process caused by an infectious, bacterial or autoimmune spectrum disease |
| Joints involved | One or more large joints | Many joints, both large and small, are often affected symmetrically |
| Blood test results | Average statistics have not changed | An inflammatory process is detected, sometimes the value of the rheumatoid factor increases |
| Painful feelings | The pain increases, appears after exercise, at the beginning of the disease there is only discomfort and wheezing | Pain can appear immediately after sleep, often has a migratory nature, and the sensations are intense from the beginning of the disease. |
| External changes | In the early stages - no, swelling is possible in post-traumatic cases | Sometimes there is redness of the skin over the joint, there may be swelling |
| Joint picture | Deformation, narrowing of the joint space, bone spines, growths can be observed;In most cases, X-ray diagnostics gives a clear picture of the changes that have occurred | No changes are seen in the early stages;in advanced cases, bone erosion and ankylosis are possible |
| Drug treatment | Preparations containing chondroitin and glucosamine, symptomatically - NSAIDs, with rapid progression - corticosteroids. | Symptomatically - NSAIDs, sometimes - antibiotics, for autoimmune diseases - corticosteroids |
Causes of disease development
Causes of arthrosis
Arthrosis is a chronic process and always develops slowly.Joint blood supply gradually deteriorates, as a result of which the tissues do not receive proper nutrition.Cartilage changes its structure, becomes rough, friction occurs.The main carriers of this disease are elderly people, whose body metabolism slows down with age, and overload, overweight and injuries also make themselves felt.
The disease caused by metabolic disorders is called primary arthrosis.
According to statistics, degenerative changes in the joints mostly affect older women who are overweight.Often, such patients have a genetic predisposition to this type of disease.
In addition to old age, in rare cases, arthrosis can occur in middle-aged and even young people.The most common reasons include:
- professional sports with heavy loads on the joints;
- heavy physical labor;
- advanced arthritis;
- previous injuries or operations.
In the cases listed above, arthrosis will be secondary.A predisposing factor in the development of the disease is obesity.Sometimes this type of disease can be the result of damage to the nervous system, which causes insufficient sensitivity of the joint.In addition, the disease can cause systemic damage to the connective tissue.
Causes of arthritis
Arthritis, unlike arthrosis, has many different forms and manifestations that only an experienced specialist can distinguish.Each type has its own reason:
- Jet- occurs as a complication of infectious and bacterial infections, in most cases, intestinal and genitourinary system.
- Rheumatoidis a separate autoimmune disease that affects the joints symmetrically.
- Infectious- characterized by inflammation of the joints as a result of the activity of pathogenic bacteria and infections.You can also find arthritis that occurs on the background of viral hepatitis in the adult population.
- Gout- manifests itself as a result of gout due to the accumulation of uric acid salts in joint tissues.
- Psoriatic- the result of psoriasis manifestations observed in about 10-15% of people with this diagnosis.
- Traumatic- can occur due to damage to joint or periarticular tissues.
- Rheumatic- most often it is the result of rheumatism provoked by streptococcal infection.
In addition, there are types of diseases that are characteristic only for children, for example, juvenile arthritis, which often occurs against the background of infection, fungal or bacterial disease.
Symptoms
Symptoms of arthrosis
Joint pain, which directly depends on the intensity of movement and physical activity, is the main symptom of arthrosis.The disease often manifests itself in the knee, hip and ankle joints.Small joints are rarely affected.
The discomfort and pain associated with this disease pass at rest and gradually increase when trying to move.Apart from the pain in the joint area, the patient is not worried about anything else;no high body temperature, fever or joint swelling.Over time, with arthrosis, creaking and clicking in the joints becomes more and more clearly heard, and movement is gradually limited.
Arthritis symptoms
Long-term joint inflammation can cause arthrosis, and vice versa, without proper treatment of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the joint cavity, the inflammatory process can occur.The symptoms of arthritis are completely different from the symptoms of arthrosis.First, in these diseases, there are various types of pain in the joints.Arthritis pain is often independent of physical activity and may appear at rest or at night.Pain sensations can be paroxysmal, "flying", moving from one joint to another.In this disease, inflammation also spreads to periarticular tissues.
Secondly, arthritis can be distinguished from arthrosis by a number of other signs: general malaise, weakness, increased body temperature, involvement of small joints (fingers, wrists) in the process.
Treatment approach
Pain reliever
The main goal of drug treatment for both arthritis and arthrosis remains the relief of pain symptoms.According to research, the most effective are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs based on phenylacetic acid, which are successfully used in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.In addition, these NSAIDs have fewer side effects and complications than other drugs in the same spectrum.
The study of NSAIDs is based on a drug from the group of phenylacetic acid derivatives, which has become the standard for the treatment of acute and chronic pain.The drug appeared more than 45 years ago, but during this time it has not lost its effectiveness even compared to the latest painkillers.
In addition, a few years ago, a study was published in the medical journal Lancet comparing the effects of different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of osteoarthritis.The most effective drug was from the group of phenylacetic acid derivatives, which not only relieves pain, but also improves joint function.
In addition to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, other drugs are used in the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis.
Arthritis treatment
Correct treatment of arthritis is always complex, long-term and systematic.It should be aimed at eliminating its cause, eliminating pain and inflammation.
Some of its types, including infectious ones, are treated only in hospital conditions.To eliminate the causes and depending on the origin of the disease, a wide range of antibiotics, antimycotic drugs and analgesics are used.
The main task in the treatment of reactive arthritis remains the destruction of the infection that caused it.Often the cause is an intestinal or urogenital disease: chlamydia, salmonellosis, etc.
Gout, rheumatic and psoriatic arthritis occur against the background of exacerbation of chronic diseases of the same name, so it is necessary to achieve a stable remission first.For this purpose, special drugs, as well as physical therapy methods and a special diet are used for the treatment of these diseases.
Treatment of rheumatoid disease includes drugs from the sulfonamide group and immunosuppressants.In the treatment of this autoimmune disease, it is important to maintain accurate doses of drugs.In severe cases of the disease, corticosteroids are used - hormonal drugs that can slow down the development of rheumatoid arthritis, but have many side effects.
Treatment of arthrosis
In the case of arthrosis, cartilage needs additional nutrition and recovery, so chondroprotective drugs containing chondroitin and glucosamine are often prescribed for treatment.This is the main drug treatment prescribed to patients with this diagnosis.
At the initial stage, physiotherapeutic procedures play a key role: electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, as well as therapeutic exercises, diet and massage.
Which doctor should I see?
If you have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis
If arthrosis is in the first stage, when the disease has not yet developed, a local therapist or general practitioner can treat it.
In the initial stage of this disease, it is necessary to improve joint blood supply and increase the production of synovial fluid.In addition, if the disease does not progress, it is necessary to strengthen the surrounding muscles and ligaments to stabilize the joint.Drug treatment includes the use of chondroprotectors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and drugs with a vasodilator effect.Therapeutic gymnastics, physiotherapy sessions and massage have proven successful.For overweight patients, a diet is recommended to reduce body weight and reduce the load on the joints.
The second and third degrees of arthrosis, in which degenerative-dystrophic changes are strongly expressed, are always monitored by a rheumatologist, arthrologist, orthopedic traumatologist and surgeon.Often, in these stages, the process begins to progress rapidly, and conservative treatment has only a symptomatic effect.
The final stage of the disease, in which the limb can be completely immobilized by a diseased joint, usually implies the need for surgical intervention and endoprosthetics.
If you have been diagnosed with arthritis
In the case of arthritis, the list of treating doctors increases significantly, because there are more causes of this disease.But in this case, the person who will undergo the first examination should be a local therapist, who, based on the medical history, will determine which specialist to contact next time.
Autoimmune pathologies such as systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis are always managed by rheumatologists and immunologists.In the case of psoriasis, a dermatologist is added to these doctors.
A vertebrologist specializes in diseases of the spine and treats patients with arthritis of the spine.
For rheumatism, consultation and observation of a cardiologist is required.If the arthritis is caused by an intestinal or urogenital infection, the main treatment specialist will be a gastroenterologist, urologist or gynecologist.
Prevention
First of all, women over 45 and men over 55 should think about preventing arthrosis and arthritis - this is when hormonal changes begin in the body, metabolism slows down, blood flow in the joints deteriorates.Preventive measures are especially relevant for those with a hereditary predisposition to endocrine and metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Special attention should also be paid to people whose work is closely related to physical activity that has a negative impact on the joints.
The main measures of primary prevention are:
- body weight control: excess weight creates additional stress on the joints and the entire musculoskeletal system;
- a balanced diet containing the right balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants;
- moderate physical activity: gymnastics, daily exercises, swimming, walking;
- giving up bad habits: alcohol and tobacco products disrupt the body's metabolism and suppress the immune system.
If the symptoms of the joint disease are already detected, secondary preventive measures are applied:
- compliance with primary prevention measures;
- therapeutic exercises prescribed by a doctor and performed outside periods of exacerbation;
- use of special orthopedic devices: canes, insoles, bandages, corsets;
- course or continuous drug treatment;
- regular preventive examinations by specialists.