Joints have two main "enemies" that are counterproductive all around. These are arthritis and rheumatic diseases, although the names are similar, the nature of the pathological processes taking place is different. The affected area of these diseases is the cartilage.
Cartilage plays an important role in joint health. It has no blood vessels or nerve endings, so it can be strong and withstand heavy loads. This softens the effect on tissues with nerve fibers or blood capillaries.
As the body moves, the cartilage creates an unhindered and painless rotation of the ends of the bones in the joint, reducing frictional damage to zero. When jumping, cartilage tissue acts as a shock absorber, absorbing inertial loads.
Arthritis and osteoarthritis "catch" the work of the joints and impede full range of motion. Some of the symptoms of these diseases are similar, others are completely different.
Physiological processes in arthritis
When a person begins to feel pain in a particular joint, this may indicate the presence of a disease such as arthritis. This disease means that the cartilage is inflamed.
The disease can affect all components of the joint:
- synovial membrane located along the edges;
- synovial fluid nourishes tissues and acts as a lubricant;
- joint capsule.
Arthritis patients complain of acute pain, such as in the knee, that limits mobility of the limbs. Fever and redness of the inflamed area are characteristic. The pain can be "wet", affecting the same joint on the other limb.
A persistent sign of the disease is edema of the external tissues distinguishable by the naked eye.
Although the function of the joint is reduced, its internal structure remains unchanged. This is just inflammation of the cartilage caused by a metabolic disorder, infection or trauma, with proper treatment, the joint can heal without further degeneration.
Physiological processes in joint disease
This disease is more related to changes inside the joint. Since cartilage lacks blood vessels, it is nourished and rebuilt by synovial fluid, which contains essential beneficial chemicals.
With age, metabolism slows down and cartilage tissues, which receive less nutrients, begin to wear out faster than they recover. This leads to its thinning.
The thin layer of cartilage that breaks down is no longer able to cushion well under stress, so patients experience joint pain when walking or working with the affected joint.
Inflammatory processes are not observed. This disease is completely related to age and related to individual characteristics of lifestyle (correct eating habits and supplements can provide good prevention and delay the onset of the disease). in a long time).
The degeneration of cartilage tissue leads to a feeling of pain in nature. No swelling or redness.
Arthritis is a disease that affects a specific joint. There are no parallel growths at the same site in the adjacent limb. Disease often "selects" a large "node" in pathology. It can be the hip or the knee joint.
Similar and different features - briefly on the main thing
Arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis share some similarities in symptoms. They are:
- stiffness after waking up, numbness in the joints;
- total loss of motor function in the extremities;
- pain syndrome that makes performing basic actions uncomfortable.
Despite the general symptoms and nature of sensations, their number and location, they can indicate the type of disease to which they are associated. Differences in the manifestations of the disease will help make the diagnosis more accurate.
So, what is the difference between arthritis and paresis:
- First there is a clear increase in body temperature against the background of inflammation. In the second disease, this is not due to the gradual and imperceptible development of degenerative processes.
- Arthritis presents with marked tissue edema. In the case of arthritis, this symptom is absent.
- Inflamed cartilage tissue can lead to the formation of nodules under the skin. The second disease did not cause this abnormality.
- Arthritis does not lead to anatomical deformities. In fact, arthritis causes joints to lose their ability to function (in extreme stages).
- With arthritis, there is redness of the skin around the affected joint. Arthritis is not differentiated by changes in skin pigmentation.
Details the differences and similarities
When you take a closer look at the symptoms, you can highlight nuances that help pinpoint the "enemy" that attacked the joint. Below are the main symptoms of the disease with the main and similar manifestations.
Pain syndrome
Pain is inherent in both diseases. But because arthritis is related to inflammation in the joints, pain is an integral part of the overall course of the disease. She has a sharp character. Sometimes the patient can feel it at night, or in the morning. Feeling pain causes suffering regardless of the type of action the person takes.
Pain in joint disease is related to the degeneration of cartilage and the inability to fulfill its purpose. Buffering and minimizing friction are not done to the proper extent, as a result, the skeletal apparatus is injured.
Pain that occurs more often after long walks or other stress on the affected joint. In the early stages, the pain may be minor, but the picture will change as the disease progresses.
Distortion
Both diseases affect the structure of the articular apparatus. Physiological changes in arthritis are more intuitive in nature. It:
- swelling;
- the formation of nodules;
- skin redness;
- temperature.
Arthritis may be accompanied by: psoriasis, hyperhidrosis and weakness. Only certain diseases (trauma and degenerative joint disease) can alter the structural structure of the anatomical node.
With the manifestations of joint disease, the outside of the joint looks normal, but inside, irreversible processes take place. The cartilage layer becomes thinner, resulting in an increased load on the bone tissue.
Inflammatory process
Joint manifestations are characterized by swelling in the affected joint.
It is caused by inflammation of the synovial membrane inside the joint capsule. Blood tests showed elevated white blood cells in these patients.
Inflammation can be caused by injury or infection.
In rheumatic diseases, the white blood cell count is normal, since there is no inflammatory process. Degenerative changes proceed smoothly, often unnoticed by the patient.
Crunch and click
A crunching sound in a joint is a sure sign of joint disease. This is due to the deterioration of the cartilage and the painful interplay of the bone tissues. In healthy people, all joints sometimes creak. The difference between the affected area is that the sound will be "dry" and "raw".
Arthritis does not crack because the swollen joint has limited range of motion and its cartilage still protects the bone tissue from painful interactions.
Joint movement
Restricted joint activity combines the symptoms of these diseases. But there are significant differences in the nature of the violation.
In arthropathy, the range of motion is gradually reduced, but this happens gradually as the cartilage wears down. Arthritis is characterized by extensive stiffness that paralyzes joint activity. This is due to swelling and inflammation.
Common and different causes of development
These diseases can develop as a result of injury while jumping or running. Joint disease can be caused by a strong and prolonged load. This is the "professional" legacy of many athletes. Delayed hypothermia is another contributing factor to the development of both diseases.
The difference between the diseases is that arthritis can be caused by an infection that has entered the body, which is not typical for joint disease. This is a systemic inflammatory disease, joint manifestations will only be the consequence, for treatment it is necessary to find and eliminate the main source. Another cause of arthritis is being overweight, which puts stress on the joints on a daily basis.
Osteoarthritis is a separate disease that is not related to general health conditions. It can develop due to poor nutritional quality and insufficient supply of necessary substances for cartilage tissue. This can be fueled by hormonal disorders and circulatory diseases, which deplete supplies to other tissues. More often the disease "companions" with the elderly.
Risk zone
A person of any age can develop arthritis. As a result of infection, it can affect the joints of even young children. Often the beautiful half of humanity is also affected, at the age of 35-55.
Osteoarthritis is an "old" disease. Structural changes in cartilage tissue occur after 60 years. This is due to impaired metabolism and other aging factors. People with arthritis are more prone to arthritis.
Excess weight, poor diet, and heavy exercise increase the likelihood of both diseases.
Treatments
When diagnosing these diseases, a similar method of treatment is prescribed, which includes:
- setting an economizer to eliminate stress on the affected joints;
- taking drugs that nourish cartilage tissue and restore its volume;
- massage combined with physical therapy exercises, which improves blood flow to the pain site and natural metabolism;
- pain relief with analgesics;
- blockade in the joint;
- joint oxygenation;
- special complex meals.
The difference between treatment is a course of antibiotics in the case of septic arthritis to eliminate the root cause of the disease.
For joint manifestations, surgical intervention is the only way to eliminate the disease. This is required in case the cartilage is completely destroyed. In such a situation, it is replaced by a prosthetic joint.
Disease prevention
As preventive measures for both diseases, the following can be distinguished:
- Moderate stress. Set aside time to exercise the cardio group several times a week. This promotes joint mobility, without unnecessary stress, as in the case of lifting a barbell.
- Do not over-cool.
- Eat sensibly. Food should be rich in trace elements and vitamins.
- Maintain a healthy weight so your joints don't wear out prematurely.
- Avoid injuries to joints. Avoid jumping from great heights and lifting weights.
- In old age, walking with a cane helps to reduce the load on the legs, where disease can develop.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
For arthritis, an extra precaution would be to quickly diagnose and treat any infectious disease, which will prevent the inflammation from spreading to other places.