Joint pain can make life unbearable.After the visit to the doctor, a record of the diagnosed arthrosis or arthritis will appear in the outpatient card.
People far from medicine have little idea of the difference between arthritis and arthrosis and mistakenly consider them to be the same disease.
In reality, these are two completely different disease processes that can occur at the same time.
Arthrosis
Osteoarthritis refers to degenerative inflammatory processes and develops due to age-related changes in the structure of cartilage tissue.
It affects the movable joints of large bones and, less commonly, the joints of the fingers.
Appearance of a joint with arthrosis
The main cause of pathological changes is metabolic disorders in the cartilage.Violation of cartilage trophism leads to irreversible loss of proteoglycans and loss of tissue elasticity.
Dystrophic changes in cartilage result in pathological changes in the structure of the articular surfaces of bones.Over time, the degeneration process extends to the periarticular tissues.
Types of osteoarthritis
Based on their origin, a distinction is made between primary and secondary arthrosis.
The primary form affects previously healthy joints and is a consequence of age-related changes and inadequate physical activity.The timing of the appearance of the first symptoms of arthrosis depends on the hereditary predisposition, the characteristics of professional activity and lifestyle.
Traditionally, people over the age of 45 have been considered at risk, but there is now a steady trend towards earlier incidence.The disease mainly affects women, but with age the gender dependence gradually fades.
Secondary arthrosis develops against the background of a previous injury or some diseases of a different nature, including:
- autoimmune processes;
- metabolic disorders;
- endocrine dysfunction;
- pathologies of the structure of bone joints;
- genetic diseases;
- inflammatory processes.
Secondary osteoarthritis is not associated with the aging process and can occur at any age.
There are three stages in the development of the disease.
In the first phase, changes occur in the joint fluid.The nutrition of the cartilage is disrupted and its resistance to stress decreases.Roughness appears on the surface of the cartilage and inflammation develops accompanied by pain.
As the disease progresses to the second stage, the pain becomes habitual, and the course of the accompanying inflammation becomes wave-like.The cartilage begins to deteriorate, and compensatory bony growths form at the edges of the joint area.Periarticular muscles are involved in pathological processes.
The third stage is characterized by severe depletion of the articular cartilage with areas of complete tissue destruction.Degenerative processes lead to irreversible anatomical changes, including changes in the limb axis.The function of the ligament system is disrupted, abnormal mobility appears in the affected joint against the background of limited natural mobility.
Based on the location of the lesion, the following are distinguished:
- gonarthrosis,
- coxarthrosis,
- spondyloarthrosis,
- arthrosis of the interphalangeal joints of the hands.
Other localizations of the pathology are relatively rare.
Gonarthrosis, arthrosis of the knee joint
Risk factors for the development of this disease include hereditary predisposition, excessive use or knee injuries due to occupational characteristics.
According to statistics, arthritic lesions of the knee joints are diagnosed more often in women.
In the early stages of development, the disease manifests itself as discomfort in the affected joint and aching pain.Depending on the causes of the lesion, different forms of gonarthrosis are distinguished.
Some of them are characterized by a lack of long-term progression;the patient's condition remains stable for decades.However, there are also those that develop rapidly and lead to loss of mobility of the affected limb.
Coxatrosis, arthrosis of the hip joint
With this disease, a classic clinical picture of arthrosis is observed.
The first symptom of coxarthrosis is discomfort in the hip joint after physical activity.
With progressive coxarthrosis, increased pain, stiffness and limited mobility appear.
Patients suffering from a severe form of coxarthrosis spare the affected limb, avoiding stepping on it and, when stationary, choose positions in which the pain is minimal.
Spinal arthrosis, spondyloarthrosis
Spondyloarthrosis refers to pathologies that develop against the background of degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs.
The first and main symptom of the development of spinal arthrosis is pain when bending from side to side or back and forth.
When a person assumes a horizontal position, the pain gradually decreases.
Over time, in the absence of adequate treatment, the mobility of the affected part of the spine can be completely lost.
Without adequate treatment, spinal arthritis can cause intervertebral hernias and joint deformations.In severe cases, the patient loses the ability to perform usual movements and becomes disabled.
Arthrosis of the interphalangeal joints of the hands
The disease mainly affects women.Among the first symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain on contact with cold water and on straining the fingers.Over time, the joints deform due to the compaction of adjacent tissues and the formation of characteristic bony growths.
The disease has a wave-like course, in the acute phase the joints swell, partially lose mobility and tactile sensitivity may be impaired.
Treatment of osteoarthritis
It is impossible to completely cure arthrosis with modern medicine.However, timely diagnosis and complex therapy aimed at preventing further destruction of cartilage tissue help to stabilize the condition of the affected joint and significantly improve the patient's quality of life.
First of all, it is necessary to reduce the load on the musculoskeletal system.Doctors recommend avoiding carrying heavy objects, staying in the same position for a long time and limiting time on your feet.For overweight patients, it is essential to lose weight.
In the pharmacological treatment of arthrosis the following are used:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, internally in the form of injections or tablets and externally as part of ointments.The form and regimen of use are prescribed based on the patient's condition;
- drugs from the chondroprotector group to maintain the condition of cartilage tissue;
- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of intra-articular injections.Prescribed in the most serious cases;
- preparations based on hyaluronic acid to improve joint mobility.
In addition, warming compresses and ointments, drugs that activate blood microcirculation and metabolic processes, antioxidants and microelement-vitamin complexes with selenium are used, and physiotherapy treatment is prescribed.In more serious cases, surgery is necessary.
During the period of remission, the patient is recommended a course of physical therapy, selected based on the characteristics of the course of the disease.
Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that manifests as an underlying disease, concomitant pathology or as a complication of a previous infectious disease.
Appearance of joints with arthritis
Among the typical causes of inflammatory processes in the joints:
- metabolic disorders in the body;
- lack of vitamins;
- injuries;
- autoimmune diseases;
- infectious lesions of various etiologies.
Unlike osteoarthritis, pathological processes in arthritis affect the periarticular tissues.The onset of pain does not depend on physical activity and body position, and often bothers at night.
Noises in the joints characteristic of the early stages of osteoarthritis are rarely observed.A general blood test indicates the presence of an inflammatory process;when examining joints, degenerative changes characteristic of cartilage are rarely detected.
The common symptom of both diseases is pain.Any unusual and unpleasant sensations in the joints are a good reason to consult a doctor.The success of treatment largely depends on timely diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Types of arthritis
According to their onset, arthritis is divided into several types:
- infectious arthritis.They develop as independent diseases due to wound infection (primary infectious arthritis) or when a pathogen enters the bloodstream from organs affected by the infection (secondary arthritis);
- rheumatoid arthritis.This chronic disease is of infectious-autoimmune origin and usually develops in middle-aged and elderly people;
- gouty arthritis.The inflammatory process is caused by microtraumatization of the surface of the cartilage by the crystals of uric acid salts formed in the joint capsule;
- traumatic arthritisdevelops as a reaction to trauma, but can develop several years after its consequences have been eliminated;
- juvenile rheumatoid arthritisaffects children under 16.The causes of this disease are not yet known.The course is chronic, progressive.
The course of arthritis can be acute or chronic.In the acute course, the disease develops rapidly, with severe swelling, severe pain in the affected area, local or general temperature increase.
With chronic arthritis, symptoms gradually increase and the disease may progress over years.With premature or inappropriate treatment, acute arthritis can become chronic.
Based on the characteristics of the lesion, monoarthritis and polyarthritis are distinguished.In monoarthritis the lesion is localized on one of the joints;when multiple joints are involved in the pathological process, a diagnosis of polyarthritis is made.
Arthritis treatment
The treatment strategy for arthritis depends on the causes of the disease and the severity of the patient's condition.For infectious arthritis, patients are prescribed a course of antibiotics or other drugs, depending on the nature of the pathogen.
To eliminate inflammation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used in the form of injections, tablets and/or externally in the form of an ointment or gel.
In addition, drugs from the groups of chondroprotectors, antihistamines and general tonics can be prescribed.In some cases, patients are prescribed drugs that improve blood microcirculation.
In addition to drug treatment, patients are prescribed a course of physiotherapeutic procedures, and during the period of remission, a set of physical therapy exercises.
In severe and advanced cases, surgery may be necessary.
Without the help of specialists, arthritis and arthrosis can lead to disability.
Self-medication for joint diseases is contraindicated;in the vast majority of cases, the patient's condition progressively worsens.
Any change in the functionality of the joint is a reason to visit a doctor.
Prevention measures
To prevent arthritis and arthrosis it is important to optimize physical activity, avoiding overload.People diagnosed with the disease, as well as those at risk, must adapt their diet in favor of healthy foods, reduce alcohol consumption and stop smoking.
People prone to obesity are advised to maintain a normal body weight, since an increased load on the musculoskeletal system can provoke or accelerate pathological changes.
To timely detect the disease in the early stages, it is important to undergo regular preventive examinations.