When we talk about diseases like arthritis and osteoarthritis, we inevitably think of joint problems. Indeed, these two pathologies are directly linked to the musculoskeletal system, since the pathological process is localized at the level of the joints. Arthritis and osteoarthritis have similar symptoms. Many patients confuse these diseases and consider them to be one and the same pathology, but they have fundamental differences.
What are arthritis and osteoarthritis and how are they different?
Arthritis and osteoarthritis are common diagnoses in older patients. To understand the differences between these two pathologies, let's see what arthritis and osteoarthritis are and what is the difference between them.
A chronic disease of the joints, in which their progressive deformation is observed, is called osteoarthritis. A more correct name is osteoarthritis, since the pathological process involves not only cartilage, but ultimately also bone tissue.
The immediate cause of the disease is damage to the joint surfaces, as a result of which they wear out and cease to perform their functions. A typical manifestation of osteoarthritis is severe pain when moving the limb; due to the aggravation of the pathological process, the mobility of the joint is significantly limited. In advanced stages, the joint may become immobile.
Osteoarthritis usually occurs in people over the age of forty-five, but in rare cases it can affect the joints of younger people. The disease develops mainly in women and also affects people with congenital pathologies of the limbs. Osteoarthritis is caused by excess weight, joint surgery and injuries, for example to the hip or knee. Endogenous factors, such as poor diet or circulatory disorders in the joint, can also trigger the disease.
Arthritis is an inflammatory pathology localized to the joint. This is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis. Inflammation can occur as a result of joint infection, injury, as well as degenerative tissue changes. Like osteoarthritis, arthritis is characterized by joint pain that worsens with movement.
Lack of proper treatment leads to loss of mobility of the joint and its complete immobilization. Arthritis is easier to distinguish, because the inflammation causes the skin at the site of the lesion to become red and swollen. Note that arthritis is not an isolated pathology. It is a systemic disease that does not only affect the musculoskeletal system. Arthritis usually affects the liver, kidneys and heart. This is the main difference between arthritis and local osteoarthritis.
Panels
The symptoms of arthritis and osteoarthritis are largely similar, but they also have significant differences. Pain is an essential symptom that appears in both osteoarthritis and arthritis. The nature of the pain varies: with osteoarthritis, patients experience negative sensations during physical activity, as well as when the load on the damaged joint increases.
At the initial stage, the pain may not be severe. For this reason, patients do not always attach importance to these symptoms and do not pay attention to the first signs of pathology. When you rest, the pain subsides. Only in the second and third stages is the pain constantly present. However, if you position the limb correctly, the pain will subside. With arthritis, the pain does not subside, and the peak of its development is reached at night, closer to the morning.
Cracking is a typical feature of osteoarthritis and chronic arthritis.
A crunch occurs due to a decrease in the elasticity of cartilage tissue and an increase in friction between the joint surfaces. At the initial stage, you may notice cracking of the fingers and then larger joints will be affected. A distinctive feature of joint cracking is the rough, dry sound produced by the joint.
Restriction of mobility of a joint and stiffness of movements are typical symptoms of osteoarthritis and arthritis, but for osteoarthritis, joint problems differ depending on the locality, i. e. a jointspecific is affected and with arthritis - a systemic pathology - discomfort is noted not only in the joints, but throughout the body.
Joint deformities are observed in both pathologies, but present particularities. With osteoarthritis, the changes only affect the joint itself, and the inflammatory process of arthritis causes changes in the skin - you may see swelling, redness and hyperthermia. In addition, arthritis is accompanied by general somatic pathology: body temperature rises, a typical febrile state sets in, sweating increases, weakness and drowsiness appear. Conjunctivitis may appear and chronic illnesses may become complicated. With osteoarthritis, such symptoms do not appear, but if osteoarthritis has developed, inflammation will also accompany osteoarthritis.
A doctor must carefully differentiate between the signs of arthritis and osteoarthritis. Therefore, if negative symptoms appear, a consultation with a specialist is necessary.
Diagnostic
To begin treatment of the disease, a correct diagnosis of arthritis or osteoarthritis is important. This can be done using various research techniques. Not all patients know which doctor deals with joint pathologies. You can therefore, first, contact a rheumatologist or therapist, then consult an orthopedist or surgeon.
Patients must undergo a blood test which will demonstrate general changes in the body. If the results of a blood test show no abnormalities, then doctors lean toward osteoarthritis as a preliminary diagnosis.
If the sedimentation rate of erythrocytes in blood plasma increases, rheumatoid arthritis is suspected, since there is a clear indication of an inflammatory process. Generally, the speed increases above 25 mm/h. An additional confirming sign will be joint pain that worsens at night. To be fair, we note that an increase in ESR is also possible in osteoarthritis, if it is accompanied by inflammation.
An additional argument in favor of rheumatoid arthritis will be an increase in the number of leukocytes. Blood is also taken from a vein for rheumatological tests - the appearance of a special marker - C-reactive protein, which indicates inflammation. However, you should not rely only on a blood test, since it is impossible to reliably determine any of the diseases using this analysis. It is necessary to conduct additional research, constantly taking into account the presence of an inflammatory factor in the blood.
As additional tests, doctors prescribe the following to the patient:
- X-ray of the problem area;
- Magnetic resonance imaging;
- CT scan;
- radioisotope scanning.
Doctors take into account tests, carefully collected medical history and the results of a blood test, after which a particular disease is diagnosed.
Treatment
For the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis to be successful, it is necessary to choose the right therapeutic strategy. Note that it is not always possible to completely cure the disease, and in some cases long-term remission is considered a huge success.
In order to relieve exacerbations and prevent relapses of diseases, it is imperative to treat with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Medications have a particularly powerful effect on the body suffering from arthritis and also affect the positive dynamics of osteoarthritis.
Features of the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are as follows:
- It is not recommended to take medications for a long time, even if they do not cause negative effects when administered;
- patients with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidney and heart disorders are prohibited from taking NSAIDs;
- Do not increase the dosage of medications without the doctor's permission, as a negative reaction may occur in case of individual sensitivity;
- When taking medications, you should take them with a full glass of water;
- when taking NSAIDs, it is prohibited to combine several medications, as well as to drink alcoholic beverages;
- Taking NSAIDs during pregnancy is prohibited.
When contacting a doctor, the patient will be prescribed effective treatment with the safest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after examination. Basically, all drugs in this group can be divided into cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 inhibitors. COX-2 inhibitors are considered more faithful to the body's drugs.
First and second generation inhibitors are included in many drugs. These are ointments, patches, gels and tablet preparations.
Medicines to relieve muscle spasms - muscle relaxants - will be useful in treatment. This usually occurs in patients with osteoarthritis or arthritis. With severe joint pain, the muscles experience severe tension, and with prolonged discomfort, they suffer from a lack of nutrition and oxygen. It is therefore very important to quickly relieve the discomfort that accompanies the disease.
During treatment, the normalization of metabolic processes is an indispensable condition. This becomes possible once the inflammation has subsided and muscle spasms have been relieved. Metabolic medications for patients with arthritis and osteoarthritis are adenosine triphosphoric acid, inosine, adenosine phosphate, B vitamins, and anabolic steroids.
To eliminate salts in osteoarthritis, a special series of drugs is prescribed, as well as means to achieve optimal acid-base balance.
In order to cure arthritis and osteoarthritis or achieve lasting positive momentum, it is very important to take all medications recommended by your doctor. Moreover, this should be done in accordance with the diet prescribed by the doctor, since even the most effective metabolic agents against the background of an active inflammatory process will be simply useless.
Traditional treatment
Diseases such as arthritis and osteoarthritis can be treated not only with traditional medicines, but also with folk remedies. Massages with preparations based on natural ingredients will be useful. These are ointments with bee and snake venom. These preparations also include essential oils. During the massage, you can add eucalyptus and ginger oil, ginger oil, marjoram, rosemary or juniper oil.
For arthritis and osteoarthritis, hot baths have a good relaxing effect. They will help relieve muscle pain and fatigue, and help relax the body as a whole. The best composition is one drop of ginger oil and the same amount of benzoin styrax or two drops of marjoram oil and black pepper for one tablespoon of olive oil. Add 15 to 20 drops to the bath. The recipe is very useful if the patient suffers from osteoarthritis of the legs. Oil baths can be done every evening.
Black poplar also has an excellent effect. Not all patients know how to treat arthritis and arthrosis with black poplar, but it is very simple to do. From a healthy tree, you need to collect rot, young leaves and shoots - about half a bucket, after which everything is poured with boiling water to the edge of the container and kept overnight. In the morning, the liquid is carefully poured into the bath, leaving the cake, and immersed in it for half an hour. After a bath, it is advisable to warm up and lie in bed for an hour.
Folk remedies are of great help even if the patient suffers from osteoarthritis - a serious combination of bone deformities and inflammatory processes in the articular joint. To treat, you need to take a glass of spruce needles and fill them with two liters of water. It is necessary to boil the product for fifteen minutes, after which the broth is poured into the bath and taken until the water cools completely.
Senna leaves will help fight arthritis and osteoarthritis. If the patient regularly treats the disease with this remedy, the inflammation quickly disappears. Senna is used as follows: two glasses of the dry component are poured with a liter of boiling water and sealed for forty minutes. Then the liquid is poured into the bath, sea salt is added there and taken until the water is at the optimal temperature. After bathing, damaged areas due to osteoarthritis or arthritis are treated with fir oil and wrapped in a scarf.
Prevention
As a preventive measure, doctors give patients the following advice:
- completely treat all infectious pathologies, do not interrupt treatment with antibacterial drugs, so as not to leave pockets of inflammation in the body;
- adhere to a balanced diet;
- wear comfortable shoes that do not bother your feet;
- get rid of excess weight, which creates additional stress on the limbs;
- do not overcool your feet, be careful in wet weather and cold weather;
- protect yourself from injuries and when actively playing sports, use special bandages, supports and elastic bandages;
- do daily gymnastics, take walks in the fresh air to activate blood circulation in the body, and when the first symptoms of arthritis or arthrosis are detected, perform special joint gymnastics - exercises for the hands, ankles andknees.
Arthritis and osteoarthritis are serious damage to the joint surfaces. If treated incorrectly or untimely, they can lead to disability, which is why doctors strongly recommend seeing a doctor at the first symptoms of the disease.