Joint pain can make life unbearable.After visiting the doctor, a record of diagnosed arthritis or arthritis will appear on the outpatient card.
People away 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 movable joints of large bones, less so the joints of the fingers.
Appearance of joint with arthrosis
The main cause of pathological changes is metabolic disorders in the cartilage.Disruption of cartilage trophism leads to irreversible loss of proteoglycans and loss of tissue elasticity.
Dystrophic changes in the cartilage cause pathological changes in the structure of the articular surfaces of the bones.Over time, the degeneration process spreads to the periarticular tissues.
Types of arthrosis
Primary and secondary arthrosis are distinguished based on their origin.
The main form affects previously healthy joints and is the result of age-related changes and insufficient physical activity.The time of appearance of the first signs of arthrosis depends on hereditary predisposition, characteristics of professional activity and lifestyle characteristics.
Traditionally, people over the age of 45 have been at risk, but now there is a steady trend toward earlier incidence.The disease mainly affects women, but gender dependence gradually smooths out with age.
Secondary arthrosis develops against the background of a previous injury or certain 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 associated with the aging process and can occur at any age.
There are three stages in the development of the disease.
In the first stage, there is a change in joint fluid.Cartilage nutrition 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 common, and the course of the accompanying inflammation is like a wave.Cartilage begins to deteriorate and compensatory bone growth forms at the edges of the articular area.Periarch 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 cause irreversible anatomical changes, including changes in the axis of the extremity.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, they differ:
- gonarthrosis,
- coxarthrosis,
- spondyloarthrosis,
- arthrosis of the interpelvic joints of the hands.
Other localizations of pathology are relatively rare.
Gonarthrosis, arthrosis of the knee joint
Risk factors for the development of this disease include genetic predisposition, overuse or knee injuries due to occupational characteristics.
According to statistics, arthrosis lesions in knee joints are diagnosed more often in women.
In the first stages of development, the disease manifests itself as discomfort in the affected joint and aching pain.Depending on the causes of the lesion, several forms of gonarthrosis are distinguished.
Some are characterized by a lack of long-term progression;The patient's condition has been stable for decades.However, there are those who develop rapidly and lose mobility of the affected limb.
Coxshrosis, arthrosis of the hip joint
A classic clinical picture of arthrosis is observed with this disease.
The first symptom of coxarthrosis is discomfort in the hip joint after physical activity.
With progressive coxarthrosis, pain increases, stiffness and limited mobility appear.
Patients with a severe form of coxarthrosis should refrain from stepping on the affected extremity and choose positions where the pain is least noticeable when stationary.
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 developing spinal arthrosis is pain when bending from side to side.
When a person takes 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 proper treatment, spinal arthrosis can lead to intervertebral hernia and joint deformation.In severe cases, the patient loses the ability to perform normal actions and becomes disabled.
Arthrosis of the interpecheal joints of the hands
The disease primarily affects women.Early symptoms of arthrosis include pain when touching cold water and straining the fingers.Over time, the joints are deformed due to the formation of adjacent tissues and characteristic bone spurs.
The disease has a wave-like course, in the acute stage, the joints swell, partially lose mobility, and touch sensitivity may be impaired.
Treatment of arthrosis
Arthrosis cannot be completely treated with modern medicine.However, timely diagnosis and complex therapy aimed at preventing further destruction of cartilage tissue help 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 carrying heavy objects, staying in one position for a long time and being limited to your feet.It is very important for overweight patients to lose weight.
The following are used in the drug treatment of arthrosis:
- 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 determined depending on the patient's condition;
- Drugs from the group of chondroprotectors to protect the condition of cartilage tissue;
- Intoidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in the form of fine needles.Prescribed in severe cases;
- Hyaluronic acid preparations 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 physiotherapeutic 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 according to the characteristics of the course of the disease.
Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that occurs as a primary disease, a selective pathology, or a complication of a previous infectious disease.
The appearance of joints with arthritis
Among the typical causes of inflammatory processes in joints:
- metabolic disorders in the body;
- lack of vitamins;
- injuries;
- autoimmune diseases;
- infectious lesions of various etiologies.
Unlike arthrosis, pathological processes in arthritis affect the periarticular tissues.The appearance of pain does not depend on physical activity and body position, and it often bothers you at night.
Noise is rarely observed in joints that are characteristic of the early stages of arthrosis.A general blood test shows the presence of an inflammatory process;When examining joints, characteristic degenerative changes in cartilage are rarely detected.
A 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 mainly depends on the timely detection and treatment of the disease.
Types of arthritis
Based on their occurrence, arthritis is divided into several types:
- infectious arthritis.They develop as independent diseases due to infection of wounds (primary infectious arthritis) or when a pathogenic infection (secondary arthritis) enters the bloodstream from the affected organs;
- 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 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 its consequences have been overcome;
- 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 or chronic.In the acute course, the disease quickly develops with severe swelling, severe pain, severe pain in local or general temperature.
With chronic arthritis, symptoms gradually increase and the disease may progress over years.With unsafe or inappropriate treatment, acute arthritis can become chronic.
According to the characteristics of the lesion, monoarthritis and polyarthritis are distinguished.In monoarthritis, the lesion is localized to one of the joints;When several 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 according to the nature of the pathogen.
To eliminate inflammation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used in the form of injections, tablets and / or an external ointment or gel.
In addition, drugs from the groups of chondroprotectors, antihistamines and general restorations 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 remission, a series of exercise therapy exercises.
In severe and advanced cases, surgery may be required.
Without the help of specialists, arthritis and arthrosis can cause disability.
Self-medication is contraindicated for joint diseases;In the vast majority of cases, the patient's condition gradually worsens.
Any change in joint functionality is a reason to visit a doctor.
Preventive measures
To prevent arthritis and arthrosis, it is important to optimize physical activity to avoid overloading.People diagnosed with the disease, those at risk, as well as need to adjust their diet in favor of healthy foods, reduce alcohol consumption and stop smoking.
People who are prone to obesity are recommended to maintain a normal body weight, because an increase in the load on the musculoskeletal system can provoke or accelerate pathological changes.
It is important to undergo regular preventive examinations for timely detection of the disease in the first stages.