Arthritis and osteoarthritis - what is the difference between the diseases

Healthy joint tissue is made up of cells capable of recovering from damage - regeneration. Bones, cartilage, synovium and other constituents can become diseased. Dead and damaged cells accumulate in certain tissues. They do not have the ability to divide, which hinders regeneration. They are difficult to remove, which is a major problem in restoring joint health.

Under any physical exertion, strong mechanical stress can damage cells and lead to their death. It is difficult for an already diseased joint to carry the load. Summer very difficult to cure. To avoid or overcome the disease, it is necessary to understand the defense mechanisms of common tissues and cells. In the field of joint damage, arthritis, osteoarthritis, polyarthritis and other diseases are distinguished. Let us examine in detail the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis.

The first cause of the disease

The key is protected from neuromuscular damping. Thanks to the muscle contraction control system, the shocking effect does not occur or is mitigated. The nervous system ensures smooth movement and distribution of loads. In a relaxed state, the muscles also stimulate microvibrations, leading to the release of lubricant, the removal of dead cells.

Impaired neuromuscular amortization occurs due to poor conduction of nerve pathways. For example, fatigue weakens the protection of an articulation. Dead cells begin to accumulate without having time to be excreted. The result is inflammation. Weakening of the defense accelerates the degradation not only of the joints, but also of the spine.

A number of factors increase the risk of joint disease, ranging from stroke, bruising, overload, hypothermia. Arthritis occurs - an inflammatory process. If it is impossible to cure it for months, the deformities begin - arthrosis.

What is arthritis: causes, symptoms

Reasons for this can be specified:

1. Improper diet.
2. Bad habits: alcohol, smoking.
3. Systematic hypothermia.
4. Injuries.
5. Excessive stress on the joints.
6. Consequences of past diseases, infections.

The disease is detected by the following symptoms:

• swelling in the joint area, painful sensations, increased sensitivity, limited mobility (i. e. synovitis).
• Sharp pains in motion and at rest.
• Hardness in the morning due to swelling overnight. An hour after the start, the activity passes.

In addition to the listed signs, symptoms of inflammation may appear: weakness, sweating, chills, fever. Some have headaches, weight loss. Sometimes comorbidities occur: the heart and lungs are affected.

What is osteoarthritis: causes and symptoms

As a result of progressive arthritis, the symptoms of osteoarthritis in most cases appear only after 40 years.

The disease is characterized by the following manifestations:

• Pain does not appear in a relaxed state, but during exertion. Unpleasant sensations occur in the hip or knee joint while walking, using a ladder or exercising. This initial bitterness may disappear with further movement. There is also a strong painful sensation, accompanied by a crisis, when bent, it does not break.
• Pain when you start moving after rest appears as a result of deposition on the rubbing surfaces of detritus - the products of cartilage and bone destruction. The sensation may stop after 15 minutes because this sediment is pushed out.
• Dull pain at night appears as a result of venous congestion.

With osteoarthritis, inflammation often occurs. Along with the painful sensations, swelling is observed (as in arthritis). If symptoms of both diseases are present, osteoarthritis is diagnosed.

Long course of osteoarthritis can lead to limited mobility. In muscles, tendons, degenerative changes (contractures) begin and then deformity. In this case, the diagnosis is made - deforming osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis.

Distinguish the stages of the disease, which are determined by X-ray images as a result of computed tomography:

1. 1 degree- slight changes in cartilage, bone. Painful swelling occurs with moderate strain, decreasing after a period of rest.
2. 2 degrees- cartilage destruction, growth of bone tissue at the ends in the form of osteophytes. Narrowing of the joint space, accompanied by constant pain. Puffiness also becomes persistent.
3. 3, 4 degrees- extensive cartilage and bone destruction. The swelling does not go away, the ligaments and muscles do not work properly and deformity occurs. The load axis is disturbed at the joints.

Risk factors leading to osteoarthritis are:

• Lack of mobility.
• Mbipesha.
• Age factors.
• Infections coming from insufficient blood and lymph flow, stagnation.

In all situations, the tissues do not have time to recover during the joint destruction process.

Differences between arthritis and osteoarthritis

Both arthritis and osteoarthritis are becoming more common diseases. Diseases affecting the joints have similar names. The differences lie in the nature of the negative changes that occur during the onset and development of symptoms. Arthritis pain is a consequence of tissue inflammation. The synovium is affected, its blood supply, lymph is disrupted, the disease affects the nerve endings. The joint stops eating properly, and also fails to produce lubricant. Cartilage suffers.

The disease can be observed not only in adults but also in children (juvenile form). The lesion affects any joint, even small as the fingers, and can also cover some of them (polyarthritis).

Osteoarthritis occurs as a result of a prolonged course of arthritis. The cartilage and the entire joint do not receive nourishment from the synovial fluid (lubricant) for a long time. There are often exacerbations in the form of inflammation. First, the cartilage is destroyed, as is the bone covering, and in subsequent stages the bone tissue may suffer. Cartilaginous areas do not have time to regenerate, they soften. Due to the violation of sliding surfaces in the joints, pain appears.

This disease occurs after 40 years. By touching large joints (hip - coxarthrosis or knee - gonarthrosis), this can lead to disability, rendering a person disabled. Fingers (arthrosis) and feet are affected less frequently. And also the disease can be observed in the temporomandibular, elbow, shoulder and other joints.

Thus, osteoarthritis is a consequence of the development of arthritis symptoms, taking on a devastating stage.

Prevention and Treatment

Nutritional deficiencies of cartilage and joints in arthritis should not be exacerbated by inflammation. Simultaneously with the repayment of foci with anti-inflammatory drugs, the cause must be eliminated. If you do not take action, the disease can turn into osteoarthritis. If you suspect both diseases, you need to diagnose correctly, for which you should consult a specialist doctor. This is done by a rheumatologist, orthopedic traumatologist and surgeon. It is required to visit the clinic. And in some diagnostic centers, such patients are served by an arthrologist.

An important principle of healing is to stop destruction while stimulating healing. This approach will help prevent irreversible change. To do this, the tissues are cleansed of damaged cells resulting from damage or infection. Increase blood and lymph flow, food. Insufficient conduction of nerve connections from the spine is often the cause of the development of arthritis and osteoarthritis. When signs of disease appear, it is necessary to reduce the load on the joints.

Drug therapy includes:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs relieve pain.
2. Hormonal preparations in the form of injections.
3. Cytostatics reduce the number of antibodies that kill cells.
4. Cartilage and synovial fluid are restored with chondroprotectors.

Lymphatic flow, which cleanses the tissues of affected cells, is not stimulated. But there is a method of vibroacoustic therapy, which consists in exposure to microvibration from vibroacoustic therapy (from 30 to 20, 000 Hz). And also used physiotherapy, exercises. In stages 3 and 4 of the disease, they turn to prosthetics.

Conclusion

Painful sensation in the joint area and malfunctions of their functions cause many serious problems. But an even bigger problem are the inflammatory processes that occur in them, the destruction that restricts movement, leads to deformations, disability. It is important to correctly identify the disease so that treatment can be carried out in a timely manner. It is necessary to understand the causes of these problems, as well as to be aware of the ways available to overcome them.