When talking about diseases such as arthritis and osteoarthritis, joint problems inevitably come to mind. In fact, both pathologies are directly related to the musculoskeletal system, since the pathological process is localized in the articular joints. Both arthritis and osteoarthritis have similar symptoms. Many patients confuse these diseases and consider them to be the same pathology, but they present fundamental differences.
What is arthritis and osteoarthritis and how do they differ?
Arthritis and arthrosis are common diagnoses in elderly patients. To understand the differences between these two pathologies, let's consider what arthritis and arthrosis are and what is the difference 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 joints, 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 worsening of the pathological process, the mobility of the joint is significantly limited. In an advanced stage, the joint may become immobile.
Osteoarthritis 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 also affects people with congenital limb pathologies. Osteoarthritis 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 joints, can also trigger the disease.
Arthritis is an inflammatory pathology located in the joint. This is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis. Inflammation can arise as a result of joint infection, injury, and also due to degenerative changes in tissues. Like osteoarthritis, arthritis is characterized by joint pain that worsens with movement.
Lack of adequate treatment leads to loss of joint mobility and complete immobilization. Arthritis is easier to distinguish, as inflammation causes redness of the skin at the site of the injury and swelling. Please note that arthritis is not an isolated pathology. This is a systemic disease that affects not only the musculoskeletal system. Arthritis usually affects the liver, kidneys and heart. This is the main difference between arthritis and local arthrosis.
Signals
The symptoms of arthritis and osteoarthritis are very similar, but they also have significant differences. Pain is an essential symptom that surfaces in both osteoarthritis 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 injured joint increases.
In the initial phase, the pain may not be intense. Therefore, patients do not always attach importance to these symptoms and do not pay attention to the first signs of the pathology. At rest, the pain decreases. Only in the second and third stages is the pain constantly present. However, if you position the limb well, the pain will decrease. In arthritis, the pain does not subside and the maximum peak of its development is reached at night, close to dawn.
Crunching is a typical feature of osteoarthritis and chronic arthritis.
The crisis occurs due to a decrease in the elasticity of the cartilaginous tissue and an increase in friction between the articular surfaces. In the initial stage, you may notice tightness in the fingers and then larger joints are affected. A distinctive feature of joint crushing is the harsh, 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, joint problems differ in location, that is, a specific joint is affected, and in arthritis - a systemic pathology - discomfort is observed not only in the joints, but throughout the body.
Joint deformities are observed in both pathologies, but they present different characteristics. With arthrosis, changes affect only the joint itself, and the inflammatory process in arthritis causes changes in the skin - swelling, redness and hyperthermia can be observed. In addition, arthritis is accompanied by a general somatic pathology: the body temperature rises, a typical feverish state appears, sweating increases, weakness and drowsiness appear. Conjunctivitis may begin and chronic illnesses may become more complicated. With arthrosis there are no such symptoms, but if arthrosis develops, inflammation will also accompany the arthrosis.
The doctor must carefully differentiate the signs of arthritis and arthrosis, therefore, if negative symptoms appear, a specialist consultation is necessary.
Diagnosis
To begin treating the disease, it is important to correctly diagnose arthritis or osteoarthritis. This can be done using various research techniques. Not all patients know which doctor treats joint pathologies, so at the initial stage you can contact a rheumatologist or therapist, and then consult an orthopedist or surgeon.
Patients are required to have a blood test, which will demonstrate general changes in the body. If the results of a blood test do not show any abnormalities, doctors tend to consider osteoarthritis as a preliminary diagnosis.
If the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the blood plasma increases, rheumatoid arthritis is suspected, as 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. In fairness, we note that an increase in ESR is also possible in 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 examinations - the appearance of a special marker - C-reactive protein, which indicates inflammation. However, you should not rely solely on a blood test, as it is impossible to reliably determine one of the diseases using this analysis. It is necessary to carry out additional research, constantly taking into account the presence of an inflammatory factor in the blood.
As additional examinations, doctors prescribe the following to the patient:
- X-ray of the problem area;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- computed tomography;
- radioisotope scanning.
Doctors take into account examinations, a carefully collected medical history and the results of a blood test, after which a specific disease is diagnosed.
Treatment
For the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis to be successful, it is necessary to choose the right treatment strategy. Please note that it is not always possible to completely cure the disease, and in some cases, long-term remission is considered a great success.
To alleviate exacerbations and prevent disease relapses, treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is essential. Medications have a particularly powerful effect on the body with arthritis and also affect the positive dynamics of osteoarthritis.
Features of using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are as follows:
- It is not recommended to take medications 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 medications without the doctor's authorization, as a negative reaction may occur if individual sensitivity occurs;
- When taking medications, they should be taken with a large glass of water;
- when taking NSAIDs, it is forbidden to combine several medications, as well as drink alcoholic beverages;
- It is prohibited to take NSAIDs during pregnancy.
When contacting a doctor, after examination, the patient will be prescribed effective treatment with the safest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Basically, all drugs in this group can be divided into cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 inhibitors. COX-2 inhibitors are considered more loyal to the body's drugs.
First and second generation inhibitors are included in many medicines. These are ointments, patches, gels and tablet preparations.
Medicines to relieve muscle spasms - muscle relaxants - will be useful in treatment. Typically, this often happens in patients suffering from osteoarthritis 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, therefore 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 the muscle spasm is relieved. Metabolic medications for patients with arthritis and osteoarthritis are adenosine triphosphoric acid, inosine, adenosine phosphate, B vitamins, anabolic steroids.
To remove salts from arthrosis, a special series of medications is prescribed, as well as means to achieve an ideal acid-base balance.
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 medicines, but also with folk remedies. Massages with preparations based on natural ingredients will be helpful. These are ointments with bee and snake venom. These preparations also include essential oils. During the massage, you can add eucalyptus and ginger oil, ginger, marjoram, rosemary or juniper oil.
For arthritis and arthrosis, hot baths have a good relaxing effect. They will help relieve muscle pain and fatigue and relax the body as a whole. The best composition is a drop of ginger oil and the same amount of benzoin styrax or two drops of marjoram oil and black pepper for a tablespoon of olive oil. Add 15–20 drops to the bath. The recipe helps a lot if the patient has osteoarthritis in the legs. Oil baths can be done every 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 everything is poured with boiling water to the edge of the container and kept overnight. In the morning, the liquid is carefully poured into the bathtub, leaving the cake, and immersed in it for half an hour. After bathing, it is advisable to warm up and lie in bed for an hour.
Folk remedies are of great help even if the patient is affected by arthrosis - a serious combination of bone deformities along with an inflammatory process in the articular joint. To treat, you need to take a glass of spruce needles and fill it with two liters of water. It is necessary to boil the product for fifteen minutes, after which the broth is placed in the bath and kept until the water cools completely.
Senna leaves help in the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis. If the patient regularly treats the disease with this remedy, the inflammation quickly disappears. 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 and left until the water is at the ideal temperature. After bathing, areas damaged by arthrosis or arthritis are treated with fir oil and wrapped in a scarf.
Prevention
As preventive 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, be careful in rainy and cold weather;
- protect yourself from injuries and when actively playing sports, use special elastic bandages, supports and bandages;
- do 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, do special joint gymnastics - exercises for hands, ankles, knees.
Arthritis and arthrosis are serious injuries to the articular surfaces. If treated incorrectly or prematurely, they can lead to disability, which is why doctors strongly recommend that you consult a doctor at the first symptoms of the disease.