Joint pain can make life unbearable.After a visit to the doctor, an entry for diagnosed arthrosis or arthritis will appear in the outpatient card.
People who are far from medicine have little idea of the difference between arthritis and arthrosis and mistakenly consider them to be the same disease.
In fact, these are two completely different pathological processes that can occur simultaneously.
Arthrosis
Arthrosis refers to degenerative-inflammatory processes and develops due to age-related changes in the structure of cartilage tissue.
It affects the mobile joints of the large bones and less often the joints of the fingers.
Occurrence of a joint with arthrosis
The main reason for the pathological changes are metabolic disorders in the cartilage.Disruption of cartilage trophism leads to irreversible loss of proteoglycans and loss of tissue elasticity.
Dystrophic changes in cartilage lead to pathological changes in the structure of the articular surfaces of bones.Over time, the degeneration process spreads to the periarticular tissues.
Types of arthrosis
According to their origin, primary and secondary arthrosis are distinguished.
The primary form affects previously healthy joints and is a consequence of age changes and inadequate physical activity.The time of appearance of the first symptoms of arthrosis depends on hereditary predisposition, characteristics of professional activity and lifestyle.
Traditionally, people over the age of 45 were considered at risk, but now there is a steady trend toward earlier incidence.The disease mainly affects women, but with age, the gender dependence gradually smooths out.
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 arthrosis is not related to the aging process and can occur at any age.
There are three stages of disease development.
At the first stage, changes occur in the joint fluid.Cartilage nutrition is impaired and its resistance to stress decreases.Roughness appears on the surface of the cartilage and inflammation develops, accompanied by pain.
As the disease progresses in the second stage, the pain becomes usual, and the course of the accompanying inflammation becomes wavy.The cartilage begins to break down 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 articular cartilage with areas of complete tissue destruction.Degenerative processes lead to irreversible anatomical changes, including changes in the axis of the limb.The function of the ligament apparatus is disturbed, abnormal mobility appears in the affected joint against the background of limited natural mobility.
According to 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, overuse or injuries to the knee 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 painful pain.Depending on the causes of the lesion, several forms of gonarthrosis are distinguished.
Some of them are characterized by a long-term lack of progression;the patient's condition remained stable for decades.However, there are also those that develop quickly and lead to loss of mobility of the affected limb.
Coxaarthrosis, arthrosis of the hip joint
In this disease, a classic clinical picture of arthrosis is observed.
The first symptom of coxarthrosis is discomfort in the hip joint after exercise.
With progressive coxarthrosis, pain increases, stiffness and limited mobility appear.
Patients with a severe form of coxarthrosis spare the affected limb by avoiding stepping on it, and in a stationary position choose positions where the pain is felt the least.
Osteoarthritis of the spine, 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 arthrosis of the spine is pain when bending from one side to the other or forward and backward.
When a person takes a horizontal position, the pain gradually subsides.
Over time, in the absence of adequate treatment, the mobility of the affected part of the spine can be completely lost.
Without proper treatment, arthrosis of the spine can provoke intervertebral hernias and joint deformation.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 early symptoms of arthrosis are pain when in contact with cold water and when putting pressure on the fingers.Over time, the joints are deformed due to the compaction of the adjacent tissues and the formation of characteristic bone growths.
The disease has an undulating course, in the acute stage the joints swell, partially lose mobility, tactile sensitivity may be impaired.
Treatment of arthrosis
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 one position for a long time, and limiting time on your feet.It is vital for overweight patients to lose weight.
In the medical 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 mode of use are prescribed depending on the patient's condition;
- drugs from the group of chondroprotectors to maintain the condition of cartilage tissue;
- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of intra-articular injections.Prescribed in severe cases;
- preparations with 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 severe cases, it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention.
During the period of remission, the patient is recommended a course of exercise therapy, selected in accordance with the characteristics of the course of the disease.
Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that occurs as a primary disease, concomitant pathology, or as a complication of a previous infectious disease.
Appearance of joints in 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 different etiology.
Unlike arthrosis, pathological processes in arthritis affect the periarticular tissues.The onset of pain does not depend on physical activity and body position and often bothers you at night.
Noises in the joints, characteristic of the early stages of arthrosis, are rarely observed.A general blood test shows the presence of an inflammatory process;when examining the joints, characteristic degenerative changes in the cartilage are rarely found.
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 the treatment largely depends on the timely detection and treatment of the disease.
Types of arthritis
Based on its appearance, 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 blood from organs affected by infection (secondary arthritis);
- rheumatoid arthritis.This chronic disease has an infectious-autoimmune origin and usually develops in middle-aged and older people;
- gouty arthritis.The inflammatory process is provoked by microtraumatization of the cartilage surface by crystals of uric acid salts formed in the joint capsule;
- traumatic arthritisdevelops as a reaction to trauma, but may develop several years after eliminating its consequences;
- juvenile rheumatoid arthritisaffects children under 16 years of age.The causes of this disease are still unknown.The course is chronic, progressive.
The course of arthritis can be acute and chronic.In the acute course, the disease develops rapidly, with severe swelling, severe pain in the affected area, local or general increase in temperature.
In chronic arthritis, symptoms increase gradually and the disease can progress over years.With untimely or incorrect treatment, acute arthritis can become chronic.
According to the characteristics of the lesion, monoarthritis and polyarthritis are distinguished.In monoarthritis, the lesion is localized on one of the joints;when several joints are involved in the pathological process, a diagnosis of polyarthritis is made.
Treatment of arthritis
The treatment strategy for arthritis depends on the causes of the disease and the severity of the patient's condition.In 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 ointment or gel.
In addition, drugs from the groups of chondroprotectors, antihistamines and general restorative agents 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 physiotherapy procedures and during remission - a set of exercises for therapy.
In severe and advanced cases, surgery may be required.
Without the help of specialists, arthritis and arthrosis can lead to disability.
Self-medication for joint diseases is contraindicated;in the 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.Individuals diagnosed with the disease, as well as those at risk, should adjust their diet in favor of healthy foods, reduce alcohol consumption and stop smoking.
People who are prone to obesity are advised to maintain a normal body weight, since increased load on the musculoskeletal system can provoke or accelerate pathological changes.
For timely detection of the disease in the early stages, it is important to undergo regular preventive examinations.