All joints in the human body have two enemies that prevent them from functioning fully. These are osteoarthritis and arthritis, however, although they have a similarity in name, they are two different pathological processes that affect the cartilage tissue of the joints. Next, we will consider how osteoarthritis differs from arthritis.
As you know, cartilage ensures the functioning of the joints. Cartilage is strong, resistant because it lacks blood vessels and nerve endings. Thanks to it, stress on tissues is mitigated, where there are capillaries or nerve fibers.
When a person is in motion, the cartilage tissue promotes painless and unhindered rotation of the heads of the bones in the joint socket, thus preventing damage to the joint from friction. When jumping, walking, the cartilage softens the load and performs the shock absorption function.
Osteoarthritis and arthritis cause stiffness in the joints, which prevents a person from leading a normal life due to the limitation of movement. There are a number of symptoms in which the two diseases are similar, but there are many other symptoms that are fundamentally different.
Physiological processes caused by arthritis.
The first symptom of the disease is pain in the joint. With arthritis, the process of inflammation of the cartilage tissue begins.
In the joint, arthritis affects:
- joint capsule;
- synovial fluid, which lubricates and nourishes the tissues and the joint cavity;
- located along the edges of the synovium.
Patients diagnosed with arthritis more often complain of joint pain and stiffness. The inflamed area begins to redden and the temperature rises even at the site of arthritis or polyarthritis. In some cases, the pain syndrome is also felt in the paired joint of the other arm or leg.
A symptom that worries the patient in the presence of arthritis and polyarthritis is the swelling of the external tissues of the joint.
However, even though the functions are reduced, no deformation of the structure occurs. Arthritis causes the appearance of an inflammatory process of cartilage tissue, caused by trauma, infection or metabolic disorders. This disease is completely curable, but only on the condition that the patient follows the doctor's recommendations during treatment and does not use unverified home remedies for arthritis. If this process is allowed to run its course, the disease will lead to joint breakdown.
Physiological processes caused by osteoarthritis.
The presence of osteoarthritis or spondyloarthrosis leads to pathological processes that occur in the joint cavity. Since there are no vessels in the cartilage tissue, it feeds on the synovial fluid, which contains many elements.
When a person reaches old age, the metabolic processes in his body begin to slow down, as a result of which the nutrition of the cartilage deteriorates, which leads to its deterioration.
Cartilage with various types of osteoarthritis becomes thinner and cannot cope with shock absorption functions. For this reason, patients begin to feel the pain syndrome the moment the joint is affected.
In this case, it does not make sense to take anti-inflammatory drugs for osteoarthritis, since there is no inflammatory process. This disease occurs in older people. Its appearance 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 the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis is that, unlike the first, with the second disease there is no edema, redness of the tissues.
Furthermore, osteoarthritis differs in that it affects a specific joint. If it affects a joint in one arm, it will not be 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 full limb movement;
- pain when moving the affected joint
These are symptoms inherent in two diseases, but the pain has a different character, the place of appearance, the duration of the sensations are different. As a general 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 the temperature of the skin is observed, this process is caused by inflammation. But with osteoarthritis, despite the fact that the degenerative process is running, 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 nodules. Such symptoms are not inherent in osteoarthritis.
- Osteoarthritis causes a process of deformation in the joint and, if it is not treated (with ointments for osteoarthritis or other methods), it will stop working. The presence of polyarthritis or arthritis does not lead to deformity.
- Due to inflammation from arthritis, the skin in the affected area is redder. The second disease does not change the color of the skin.
Similar signs and their differences.
There are a number of nuances that can be diagnosed when studied. In the following, the symptoms with individual symptoms and the like will be described.
Painful sensations
As mentioned above, pain syndrome occurs in both diseases. However, arthritis must be characterized by the presence of inflammation that causes pain. The very nature of pain is acute and can appear even at night or immediately after waking up.
Many people exacerbate the situation when they use a new miracle cream or remedy advertised on the internet to treat polyarthritis. Any good doctor will tell you that he cannot independently prescribe arthritis treatment.
With regard to osteoarthritis, pain occurs due to the degradation of cartilage tissue, making it unable to mitigate the load. When there is no amortization, the bone apparatus is injured.
A person feels sharp pain after long walks or when doing exercises that put pressure on the joint. When the disease first appeared, the patient may feel mild discomfort, but as the disease progresses, the condition only worsens. In this case, you need to take not only pills or other drugs for arthrosis, the treatment should be complex and carried out under the supervision of a doctor.
Deformation process
Both diseases can change the structure of the joint. Arthritis can be recognized by external physiological changes that are visible on visual inspection: increased local temperature, redness, swelling, and node formation.
Often arthritis is accompanied by: weakness, increased sweating, psoriasis. Only certain types of arthritis can cause a change in the structure of the joint; these are osteoarthritis and traumatic arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is considered a more insidious disease, since it does not manifest itself externally. 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 affected joint area. The reason for this is the inflamed synovial film, which is located in the middle of the capsule. When examining the patient's tests, an increased level of leukocytes is found. As a general rule, the presence of infection or injury leads to the appearance of an inflammatory process.
Osteoarthritis does not lead to an increase in leukocytes, since there is no inflammation. The degeneration process begins gradually, and often a person does not even notice any symptoms.
Clicks and crackle
One symptom of osteoarthritis is a cracking sound in a sore joint. The reason for this is worn cartilage tissue, which causes pain during the interaction of bone tissues. But the creaking 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 creaking, since as a result of inflammation, the joint swells and cannot fully move, the cartilage tissue performs its functions.
Joint mobility
Both diseases have a common symptomatology also because they restrict the mobility of the joints. However, the reasons for stiffness are different.
A decrease in the motor activity of the joint with osteoarthritis is caused by the thinning of the cartilage tissue, while at the onset of the disease there is no such symptom at all. In arthritis, the stiffness is caused by inflammation and is extensive. The joint is completely paralyzed.
General and specific causes of appearance.
Common causes of illness are injuries that a person has received while running or jumping. Also, regular and heavy load on the joint can lead to this. For this reason, diseases are more frequently found in professional athletes. Another reason is severe or frequent hypothermia, which usually occurs in the joints of the extremities.
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 find out the cause of the onset of the inflammatory process and eliminate it. Also, being overweight can lead to arthritis by putting pressure on the joints. In this case, the joints of the lower extremities and the musculoskeletal system are at risk.
Osteoarthritis is a separate disease, since this process has nothing to do with the general condition of the body. The reasons for its appearance are hidden in a small number of substances that enter the body due to improper nutrition. Also, bad habits, such as smoking and alcohol abuse, can lead to illness. Often its appearance is promoted by diseases of the circulatory tract and hormonal disorders. According to statistics, mainly older people suffer from osteoarthritis.
Who is at risk
A person at any age is susceptible to arthritis. The disease resulting from an infection affects even babies. According to statistics, women are more likely to suffer from arthritis.
As for osteoarthritis, it is suffered by older people. As a general rule, the deformation of the cartilaginous tissue structure begins in those over 60 years of age. 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 with 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, the same measures are taken in part:
- the patient must exclude any stress, establish a savings regime;
- take drugs that restore the volume of cartilage and nourish it;
- conduct exercise therapy along with massage to improve metabolic processes in the body and blood flow to the diseased joint;
- the use of analgesics to relieve pain;
- the doctor prescribes an intra-articular block in the form of injections;
- joint oxygenation;
- the patient switches to a complex diet.
Treatment, in particular, varies over the course of antibiotics for infectious-type arthritis to treat the underlying cause of the disease.
When the stage is advanced, they resort to surgical intervention as treatment. This need arises when the cartilage tissue is completely destroyed. In this case, a prosthetic joint is installed.