Arthritis and osteoarthritis are quite common today. Many people confuse these diseases because of the similarity in their manifestations. However, in fact, both diseases are very different from each other. You can understand the difference between diseases only if you study their characteristics.
Types of pathology
It is impossible to define joint disease based on pain alone. Almost all diseases of the musculoskeletal system are accompanied by pain.
The following diseases are the most common:
- Arthritis,caused by inflammation of the joint surface. This inflammation occurs for several reasons. The primary form develops against the background of various diseases of a gouty, septic and rheumatic nature.
The secondary form can develop after systemic lupus erythematosus, borreliosis, arthropathy.
- Arthrosis,causing the destruction of the cartilage and part of the bone located below.
Primary usually develops for no reason. It usually manifests in the elderly and affects the surface of large symmetrical bone joints.
The secondary form of the disease occurs after suffering a serious illness. Often, the development of this form is caused by a genetic predisposition.
Inflammation of the large bony joints (shoulder, knee) is often caused by excessive weight, intense physical activity, previous trauma and endocrinological diseases.
- Arthropathy is a violation of joint integrity as a result of complex transferred diseases.
- Tendonitis is an inflammatory process that occurs in the tendons.
- Entesitis - structural changes at the junction of soft tissues with bone.
- Bursitis is an injury to the bursa.
- Capsulitis - inflammation and violation of the integrity of the joint capsule.
How to distinguish arthrosis of varying severity from arthritis? You need to know that arthritis disease and arthrosis have a different nature of manifestation, which determines the treatment of arthritis.
Difference in resources
What is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis? Signs that indicate the presence of a specific disease. The signs of arthritis and osteoarthritis of the knee joint are specific.
What is arthrosis? A chronic disease that is inherently destructive. The peculiarity of the disease is that it reaches the cartilage and is irreversible.
The disease most often affects people of both sexes over the age of 60. That is, arthrosis of the knee joint is considered a disease during which large-scale destruction of cartilage occurs. First, a large joint is affected, for example, the ankle. It is your treatment that should receive special attention.
When rheumatoid arthritis reaches the hands or feet, inflammation is found simultaneously in several bone joints. The main difference between arthrosis and arthritis is that the second disease is accompanied by inflammation of large bone joints - knee, shoulder.
Arthritis has several secondary symptoms. In particular, it causes swelling of the joints, redness around them. In addition, the patient has a fever, blocking motor functions. One of the factors can cause illness: allergies, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders and trauma.
In the case of an inflammatory process, a person's motor activity is impaired. In particular, the range of motion is significantly reduced. This restriction applies both to movements performed independently and to those for which a person needs help.
Inflammation affects one or several joints at the same time. This phenomenon is usually accompanied by pain without a clear location of its location, and the joint surface of the ankle or foot joint remains intact.
It is worth remembering that the main danger of this disease is that the changes occur not only in bone tissues, but also in other organs, for example, the digestive, visual and excretory organs. The changes can also affect the dermis.
The disease affects people of any age, however, most of the time, the disease is diagnosed in women aged 35-50 years.
As for pain, arthritis accompanies it all the time. In the presence of arthrosis, the destruction of bone tissue is usually asymptomatic, without causing pain, so that the patient does not notice it.
In the first case, the disease manifests itself in some way. It is accompanied by weakness of the body, sometimes psoriasis. In the second case, all inflammatory changes occur without external signs.
Arthritic inflammation manifests itself externally by swelling of the soft tissues. They are also characterized by paralysis of the joints. Changes of a different nature occur smoothly and practically do not manifest. However, they are characterized by a specific "dry" crushing that arises as a result of the wear of the joint.
What is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis? The second causes the destruction of cartilage, and rheumatic disease manifests itself as inflammation of bone tissue. These are the main signs by which one can distinguish arthritis that affected a person or osteoarthritis.
Difference in symptoms
How does arthrosis of different origins differ from arthritis? Arthrosis and arthritis differ in the symptoms of the disease. Knowing them is very important, as symptoms and treatment are interconnected.
Arthritis and osteoarthritis of the knee joint have similar symptoms. However, you can still tell them apart. Arthritis and osteoarthritis of the knee joint and others are manifested by severe pain. However, the nature of the pain is different. In arthrosis, the patient feels pain when moving or due to the heavy load on the knees. It hurts, the attack lasts a long time.
The first stage is characterized by mild pain, so the disease is usually detected only during diagnosis.
In the next stage, even under lightly loaded conditions, the patient feels pain.
In the third stage of its development, the disease is considered neglected. The pain can appear even when there is no movement. After changing the position of the joint to a comfortable position, the pain subsides.
A disease in the hands, shoulder or hips is characterized by acute pain that is nothing but at all. Often, a pain attack begins in the early morning. The symptoms of arthritis and osteoarthritis are different. You can understand whether arthritis or osteoarthritis has affected the joints by having a crack in them. If it is heard, it means that the second disease has reached the bone joint.
Arthrosis of the knee joint or other large joints may be accompanied by a click if the cartilaginous layers are destroyed and there is direct contact with the bones.
The disease negatively affects the mobility of an affected joint. For example, knee arthrosis is accompanied by pain in the legs. Arthritic arthritis or another type of arthritis occurs with a feeling of stiffness throughout the body.
What is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis? In addition, gonarthrosis continues without external edema, but with an external change in the joints.
Arthrosis or arthritis affects the joints: what's the difference? In addition to the main symptoms, arthritis is accompanied by hyperthermia, eye inflammation, excessive sweating and weakness.
Differences in diagnoses
It is possible to diagnose arthritis of various origins and arthrosis only by determining the cause of the development of this disease. Treatment begins only after determining the level of disease development activity. In addition, during the diagnosis, the attending physician must make a prognosis to avoid a poor outcome.
Treatment of multistage arthrosis and arthritis only begins after a detailed diagnosis.
The medical examination complex consists of general clinical laboratory research, X-ray, microscopy and bacteriological research.
Diseases of different origins differ in the results of the analyzes performed.
If arthritis and arthrosis are not treated immediately, it will be impossible to cure them. In addition, systematic prevention of arthritis and osteoarthritis should be performed. Do you want to get rid of arthritis and osteoarthritis through effective treatment? Take an important exam that includes MRI and arthroscopy.
An informative method that allows to identify the difference in the manifestations of arthritis of the arthrosis of the knee joint is the X-ray.
Differences in treatment
How are arthritis and osteoarthritis treated? Symptoms and treatment of diseases are interrelated. The treatment of arthritis in arthritis is the same, but there are some differences. From a medical point of view, diseases differ, so the treatment of forms of arthrosis and arthritis is certain.
How to treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis? Complex therapy will help to cure any of the diseases. In both cases, patients with arthrosis and arthritis receive prescribed treatment, including medications (medications are prescribed by a doctor). Physiotherapy is prescribed, that is, physical therapy exercises, which is especially important for patients with arthritis or a form of arthrosis of the knee joint, as it helps to speed up treatment. For arthritis and joint arthrosis, treatment includes diets, the menu of which varies.
Those who wish to improve their health "without drugs" usually undergo treatments with various folk remedies.
Diseases can last a long time and become chronic. Despite the reason for their appearance, they cause the development of complications. That is why patients must be constantly or for a long time under medical supervision and undergo rehabilitation, whose program was developed especially for them.
To prevent the development of disease, special attention must be paid to disease prevention.
- First of all, it is necessary to treat all diseases of the musculoskeletal system in time and undergo comprehensive rehabilitation after injuries.
- Second, you should limit or at least dose physical activity, eat well and monitor your weight.
- Third, you should systematically consult a doctor to determine the presence and correct bone deformities over time.
Therefore, the difference between the two diseases is significant. It manifests itself through symptoms, signs and causes of illness. The nature of the course is also specific. In the absence of qualified and timely assistance, inflammatory processes in bone tissues and cartilage can cause complications.
Prevention, which should receive special attention, will help to prevent the development of this or that disease.