All joints in the human body have two enemies that prevent them from working properly. These are osteoarthritis and arthritis, but despite the fact that they have a similar name, these are two different pathological processes that affect the cartilage of the joints. Below we will look at how osteoarthritis differs from arthritis.
As you know, cartilage ensures the functioning of the joints. Cartilage is healthy, durable due to the fact that it lacks blood vessels and nerve endings. Thanks to it, the tension on the tissues where there are capillaries or nerve fibers is reduced.
When a person is in motion, cartilage tissue promotes painless, unimpeded rotation of the bone heads in the joint cavity, thus preventing friction damage to the joint. During jumping, walking, the cartilage softens the load, performing the function of shock absorption.
Osteoarthritis and arthritis lead to joint stiffness, which prevents a person from leading a normal life due to limited movement. There are a number of symptoms in which the two diseases are similar, but there are many other symptoms that are radically different.
Physiological processes caused by arthritis
The first symptom of the disease is joint pain. In arthritis, the process of inflammation of the cartilage tissue begins.
In the joint, arthritis affects:
- joint capsule;
- synovial fluid that lubricates and nourishes the tissues and joint cavity;
- located at the ends of the synovial membrane.
Patients diagnosed with arthritis most often complain of pain, stiffness in the joints. 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 swelling of the outer tissues of the joint.
However, despite the fact that the functions are reduced, deformation of the structure does not occur. Arthritis causes an inflammatory process in the cartilage tissue caused by trauma, infection or metabolic disorders. This disease is completely curable, but only if the patient adheres to the doctor's recommendations during treatment and does not use untested folk remedies for the treatment of arthritis. If this process is allowed to develop, the disease will lead to degradation of the joints.
Physiological processes caused by osteoarthritis
The presence of osteoarthritis or spondyloarthritis leads to pathological processes that take place in the joint cavity. Because there are no vessels in the cartilage tissue, it feeds on 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 cartilage deteriorates, leading to its deterioration.
Cartilage with various types of osteoarthritis thins and cannot cope with the cushioning functions. For this reason, patients begin to experience pain syndrome when it comes to the joint.
In this case, it makes no sense to take anti-inflammatory drugs for osteoarthritis, as there is no inflammatory process. This disease occurs in the elderly. Its appearance is influenced by a person's lifestyle. Those people who eat properly, lead a healthy lifestyle, osteoarthritis, as a rule, does not occur.
Also, another factor in how arthritis differs from osteoarthritis is that, unlike the first, the second disease has no swelling, reddening of the tissues.
Also, osteoarthritis differs in that it affects a specific joint. If it affects the joint of one hand, then it will not be on the other. It often occurs in large joints such as the hip or knee.
Different and similar characteristics of the diseases
Similar symptoms:
- in the morning a person feels numbness and stiffness in the joint;
- loss of complete movement of the limbs;
- pain when moving the affected joint.
These are symptoms inherent in two diseases, but the pain has a different nature, the place of occurrence, the duration of sensations are different. As a rule, the doctor relies on these indications when making a diagnosis.
Differences between osteoarthritis and arthritis
- In arthritis at the site of the affected joint there is an increase in skin temperature, this process is caused by inflammation. But in osteoarthritis, despite the fact that the degenerative process is ongoing, this symptom is absent.
- Arthritis leads to swelling of the upper tissues, and in 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 deforming process in the joint and if left untreated (using osteoarthritis ointments or other methods), it will become inoperable. The presence of polyarthritis or arthritis does not lead to deformity.
- Due to the inflammation in 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 in a study. Symptoms with individual and similar symptoms will be described below.
Painful sensations
As mentioned above, the pain syndrome occurs in both diseases. However, arthritis should be characterized by the presence of inflammation that leads to pain. The very nature of the pain is acute and can occur even at night or immediately after waking up.
Many people make matters worse when they use a new miracle cream or product advertised on the Internet to treat polyarthritis. Any good doctor will tell you that you cannot prescribe arthritis treatment on your own.
With regard to osteoarthritis, the pain occurs due to the degradation of cartilage tissue, as a result of which it is unable to soften the load. When there is no depreciation, the bone apparatus is injured.
A person experiences excruciating pain after long walks or when doing exercises that strain the joint. When the disease first appears, the patient may feel slight discomfort, but as the disease progresses, the condition only worsens. In this case, you should not only take pills or other medication for osteoarthritis, 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: increase in local temperature, redness, swelling and nodules.
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 because 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
In arthritis, swelling occurs in the area of the affected joint. The reason for this is the inflamed synovial film, which is located in the middle of the capsule. Examination of the patient's tests revealed an elevated white blood cell count. As a rule, the presence of infection or injury leads to the appearance of an inflammatory process.
Osteoarthritis does not lead to an increase in white blood cells, as there is no inflammation. The process of degeneration begins gradually and often a person does not even notice any symptoms.
Clicks and crushing
A symptom of osteoarthritis is crunching in a diseased joint. The reason for this is worn-out cartilage tissue, which causes pain during the interaction of bone tissues. But crunching does not always indicate the presence of disease, a healthy person can also hear clicks. In osteoarthritis, the sound will be harsh and dry.
In arthritis there is no crunching, because as a result of inflammation the joint swells and cannot move completely, the cartilage tissue performs its functions.
Joint mobility
Both diseases have common symptoms in that they limit the mobility of the joints. However, the reasons for the stiffness are different.
Decreased motor activity of the joint with osteoarthritis is caused by thinning of the cartilage tissue, while at the beginning of the disease there is no such symptom at all. In arthritis, stiffness is caused by inflammation and is extensive. The joint is completely paralyzed.
General and specific causes
Common causes of illness are injuries that a person has received while running or jumping. Also, regular and heavy loading of the joint can lead to this. For this reason, the diseases are most often found in professional athletes. Another reason is severe or frequent hypothermia, this often happens to the joints of the limbs.
Arthritis occurs as a result of inflammation caused by an infection in the body; this is not typical of osteoarthritis. Because inflammation is a process throughout the body, arthritis is just a consequence. To cure the disease, it is necessary to determine the cause of the onset of the inflammatory process and eliminate it. Also, being overweight can lead to arthritis due to the fact that it puts stress on the joints. In this case, the joints of the lower limbs and the musculoskeletal system are at risk.
Osteoarthritis is a separate disease, as this process has nothing to do with the general condition of the body. The reasons for its appearance lie in the small amount of substances entering the body due to improper nutrition. Also, bad habits, such as smoking and alcohol abuse, can provoke the disease. Often its appearance is promoted by diseases of the circulatory system and hormonal disorders. According to statistics, osteoarthritis mainly affects the elderly.
Who is at risk
A person of any age is prone to arthritis. The disease as a result of infection affects even babies. According to statistics, women are more likely to suffer from arthritis.
As for osteoarthritis, the elderly suffer from it. As a rule, the deformation of the structure of cartilage tissue 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 a person's lifestyle. And by the way, those who have arthritis are more prone to osteoarthritis.
The risk group includes people who have bad habits, expose their bodies to regular physical activity and eat poorly.
Often in the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis
In part, the same measures are taken to treat these diseases:
- the patient must exclude any stress, to establish a sparing regime;
- take drugs that restore the volume of cartilage and nourish it;
- perform training therapy together with massage to improve metabolic processes in the body and blood flow to the diseased joint;
- the use of painkillers to relieve pain;
- the doctor prescribes intra-articular blockade in the form of injections;
- oxygenation of the joint;
- the patient switches to a complex diet.
In particular, treatment varies in the course of antibiotics for infectious type arthritis to treat the underlying cause of the disease.
When the stage is advanced, they resort to surgery as a treatment. This need arises when the cartilage tissue is completely destroyed. In this case, a prosthetic joint is installed.