The human musculoskeletal system is often affected by diseases such as arthritis and arthrosis. Because of 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 do not postpone the visit to the clinic at the first signs of joint pathology. Let us consider in detail the symptoms, specific development and methods of treating arthrosis and arthritis.
Features of the disease development mechanism
Development of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (or osteoarthritis) is a chronic degenerative disease of the joints, which most often occurs due to age-related changes in the body. Joint wear and tear leads to degenerative processes: bone growth ("salt deposits"), friction and trauma to cartilage, replacement of joint tissues by connective or ossified tissues. The disease develops slowly, gradually, at first you only feel slight discomfort and clicking in the joint.
Osteoarthritis is more common in older people, but professional athletes and people who have suffered injuries are also at risk. The disease usually affects one or more large joints.
Development of arthritis
Arthritis, unlike arthrosis, is inflammatory in nature and can occur in people of any age. This disease is systemic and can affect joints and other human organs: heart, kidneys, nervous system. Arthritis manifests itself very clearly - even a non-specialist will notice this.
Arthritis most often occurs against the background of an infectious or bacterial disease, but can also be a sign of autoimmune pathologies.
If joint inflammation is caused by the activity of pathogenic bacteria or an infection, the disease usually begins abruptly, can affect a large number of joints at the same time, and involves large and small joints in the process.
Both diseases can lead to acquired chronic pain, which is now considered an independent clinical syndrome.
Comparison of osteoarthritis and arthritis
| Comparative characteristics | Osteoarthritis | Arthritis |
|---|---|---|
| Age of cases | In most cases - 65-75 years old | Any |
| Cause | Degenerative-dystrophic changes due to metabolic disorders, deterioration of blood supply to the joint | Inflammatory process caused by an infectious, bacterial or autoimmune spectrum disease |
| Joints involved | One or more large joints | A large number of joints, large and small, often affected symmetrically |
| Blood test results | Average statistical indicators have not changed | An inflammatory process is detected, sometimes an increased value of rheumatoid factor |
| Painful sensations | The pain increases, appears after exercise, at the beginning of the disease there is only discomfort and clicking | The pain may appear immediately after sleep, it is often migratory in nature and from the beginning of the disease the sensations are intense. |
| External changes | In the initial stages - no, in post-traumatic cases swelling is possible | Sometimes there is redness of the skin over the joint, there may be swelling |
| Joint image | Deformation, narrowing of the joint space, bone spines, growths can be traced; Most often, X-ray diagnosis provides a clear picture of the changes occurring | In the early stages, no changes are visible; in advanced cases, bone erosion and ankylosis are possible. |
| Drug treatment | Preparations with chondroitin and glucosamine, symptomatically - NSAIDs, with rapid progression - corticosteroids. | Symptomatically - NSAIDs, sometimes - antibiotics, for autoimmune diseases - corticosteroids |
Causes of disease development
Causes of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a chronic process and always develops slowly. The blood supply to the joint gradually deteriorates, as a result of which the tissues do not receive the necessary nutrition. Cartilage changes its structure, becomes rough and friction occurs. The main carriers of this disease are the elderly, whose body's metabolism slows down with age, and overload, excess weight and injuries are also felt.
The disease that occurs due to metabolic disorders is called primary arthrosis.
According to statistics, degenerative changes in joints in most cases affect elderly women who are overweight. Most often, these patients have a genetic predisposition to diseases of this type.
In addition to old age, in rare cases, osteoarthritis can occur in middle-aged and even young people. The most common reasons include:
- professional sports with high loads on joints;
- heavy physical work;
- advanced arthritis;
- previous injuries or surgeries.
In the cases listed above, arthrosis will be secondary. A predisposing factor for the development of the disease is obesity. Sometimes this type of disease can be a consequence of damage to the nervous system, which leads to insufficient sensitivity of the joint. In addition, the disease can be caused by systemic damage to connective tissue.
Causes of Arthritis
Arthritis, unlike arthrosis, has many different forms and manifestations, which only an experienced specialist can distinguish. Each type has its own cause:
- Reactive- occurs as a complication of infectious and bacterial infections, most often intestinal and genitourinary.
- Rheumatoidis a separate autoimmune disease that affects joints symmetrically.
- Infectious- characterized by inflammation of the joints due to the activity of bacteria and pathogenic infections. Also among the adult population you can find arthritis that occurs against the background of viral hepatitis.
- Gouty- manifests itself as a consequence of gout due to the accumulation of uric acid salts in the joint tissues.
- Psoriatic- consequence of the manifestations of psoriasis, observed in approximately 10-15% of people with this diagnosis.
- Traumatic- may occur due to injuries to the articular or periarticular tissues.
- Rheumatic- is a consequence of rheumatism, most often caused by streptococcal infection.
In addition, there are types of diseases characteristic only of children, for example, juvenile arthritis, which often occurs against the background of an infection, fungal or bacterial disease.
Symptoms
Osteoarthritis symptoms
Joint pain, which directly depends on the intensity of movement and physical activity, is the main symptom of osteoarthritis. The disease usually manifests itself in the knee, hip and ankle joints. Small joints are rarely affected.
Discomfort and pain with this disease pass at rest and gradually increase when trying to move. Apart from the pain in the joint region, the patient is not worried about anything else, does not have a high body temperature, fever or swelling in the joints. Over time, with arthrosis, clicking and clicking in the joints are heard more and more clearly and movements are gradually limited.
Arthritis symptoms
Prolonged inflammation of the joint can provoke arthrosis and, conversely, without adequate treatment of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the joint cavity, an inflammatory process may occur. The symptoms of arthritis are completely different from the signs of osteoarthritis. Firstly, these diseases present different types of joint pain. In arthritis, pain is usually independent of physical activity and may appear at rest or at night. Pain sensations can be paroxysmal, "flying", moving from one joint to another. Inflammation in this disease also extends to the periarticular tissues.
Secondly, arthritis can be distinguished from arthrosis by a number of other symptoms: general malaise, weakness, increased body temperature, involvement of small joints (fingers, wrists) in the process.
Treatment approach
Pain relief
For both arthritis and osteoarthritis, the main objective of drug treatment remains the relief of painful 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 musculoskeletal diseases. Furthermore, these NSAIDs have fewer side effects and complications compared to other medications in the same spectrum.
The study of NSAIDs is based on a drug from the group of phenylacetic acid derivatives, which has become standard in 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 in comparison with even the latest painkillers.
Additionally, several years ago, a study was published in the Lancet medical journal that compared the effects of several nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The most effective drug was from the group of phenylacetic acid derivatives, which not only relieved pain, but also improved joint function.
In addition to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, other medications are used to treat arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Arthritis treatment
Adequate treatment of arthritis is always complex, long-term and systematic. It should aim to eliminate its cause, relieving pain and inflammation.
Some of its types, including infectious ones, are treated only in a hospital setting. To eliminate the causes and depending on the origin of the disease, broad-spectrum antibiotics, antimycotics and analgesics are used.
In the treatment of reactive arthritis, the main task also remains the destruction of the infection that caused it. Most often, the cause is an intestinal or urogenital disease: chlamydia, salmonellosis, etc.
Gouty, rheumatic and psoriatic arthritis occurs against the background of exacerbation of chronic diseases of the same name, therefore, first of all, it is necessary to achieve a stable remission. To this end, special medications are used to treat these diseases, as well as physiotherapy methods and a special diet.
Treatment of rheumatoid disease includes drugs from the sulfonamide group and immunosuppressants. When treating this autoimmune disease, it is important to maintain accurate medication dosages. In severe cases of the disease, corticosteroids are used - hormonal medications that can slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis, but have many side effects.
Osteoarthritis treatment
In the case of arthrosis, cartilage needs additional nutrition and restoration, therefore chondroprotective drugs containing chondroitin and glucosamine are often prescribed for treatment. This is the main drug therapy prescribed to patients with this diagnosis.
At its initial stage, the main role is played by physiotherapeutic procedures: electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, as well as therapeutic exercises, diet and massage.
Which doctor should I contact?
If you have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis
If the osteoarthritis is in the first stage, when the disease has not yet progressed, a local therapist or general practitioner can provide treatment.
In the early stage of this disease, the joint needs better blood supply and increased production of synovial fluid. Furthermore, while 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 medications with a vasodilatory effect. Therapeutic gymnastics, physiotherapy sessions and massages have proven successful. For overweight patients, a diet is recommended to reduce body weight and relieve 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. Most often, at these stages, the process begins to progress rapidly and conservative treatment has only a symptomatic effect.
The last degree of the disease, in which the limb with the diseased joint can be completely immobilized, generally implies the need for surgical intervention and endoprosthesis.
If you have been diagnosed with arthritis
In the case of arthritis, the list of doctors who treat it increases significantly, as there are many more causes for this disease. However, in this case, the first person to be examined should be the local therapist, who, based on the medical history, will determine which specialist should be contacted next.
Autoimmune pathologies, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis, are always treated by rheumatologists and immunologists. In the case of psoriasis, a dermatologist joins these doctors.
A vertebrologist specializes in spinal diseases and treats patients with spinal arthritis.
For rheumatism, consultation and observation of a cardiologist is necessary. If arthritis is caused by an intestinal or urogenital infection, the main specialist responsible for treatment will be a gastroenterologist, urologist or gynecologist.
Prevention
First of all, women over 45 and men over 55 need to think about preventing arthrosis and arthritis - it is at this time that hormonal changes begin in the body, metabolism slows down and blood flow in the joints get worse. Preventive measures are especially relevant for those who have a hereditary predisposition to endocrine and metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
It is also necessary to be especially careful with people whose work is closely related to physical activities that negatively affect the joints.
The main primary prevention measures are:
- body weight control: excess weight causes additional stress on the joints and the entire musculoskeletal system as a whole;
- a balanced diet that contains the correct balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants;
- moderate physical activity: gymnastics, daily exercise, swimming, walking;
- give up bad habits: alcohol and tobacco products disrupt the body's metabolism and suppress the immune system.
If symptoms of joint disease have already been detected, secondary prevention measures apply:
- compliance with primary prevention measures;
- therapeutic exercises, prescribed by a doctor and carried out outside periods of exacerbation;
- use of special orthopedic devices: canes, insoles, bandages, corsets;
- course or continuous drug treatment;
- regular preventive examinations by specialists.