When diseases such as arthritis and osteoarthritis are mentioned, joint problems inevitably come to mind. In fact, both pathologies are directly related to the musculoskeletal system, since the pathological process is located in the articular joints. Both arthritis and osteoarthritis have similar symptoms. Many patients confuse these diseases and consider them the same pathology, however, they have fundamental differences.
What is 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 consider what arthritis and osteoarthritis are and what the difference is between them.
A chronic disease of the joints, in which their gradual deformation is observed, is called osteoarthritis. A more correct name is osteoarthritis, since the pathological process involves not only cartilage, but also bone tissue.
The immediate cause of the disease is damage to the joint surfaces, as a result of which they wear out and stop performing their functions. A typical manifestation of osteoarthritis is severe pain when moving the limb, as a result of the aggravation of the pathological process, the mobility of the joint is significantly limited. In an advanced stage, the joint may become immobile.
Osteoarthritis usually appears in people over forty-five years of age, but in rare cases it can affect the joints of young people. The disease develops mainly in women and also affects people suffering from congenital pathologies of the extremities. Osteoarthritis is caused by excess weight, joint surgery and injuries, for example, to the hip or knee joint. Endogenous factors, such as poor diet or circulatory disorders in the joint, can also trigger the disease.
Arthritis is an inflammatory pathology located in the joint. This is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis. Inflammation can appear as a result of a joint infection, an injury, and also due to degenerative changes in the tissues. Like osteoarthritis, arthritis is characterized by joint pain that worsens with movement.
The lack of adequate treatment causes loss of mobility of the joint and its complete immobilization. Arthritis is easier to distinguish, as inflammation causes redness of the skin at the site of the injury and swelling. Keep in mind that arthritis is not an isolated pathology. This is a systemic disease that affects not only the musculoskeletal system. Arthritis usually affects the liver, kidneys, and heart. This is the main difference between arthritis and local osteoarthritis.
Signs
The symptoms of arthritis and osteoarthritis are very similar, but they also have significant differences. Pain is an essential symptom that comes to the fore 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.
In the initial stage, the pain may not be severe. Because of this, patients do not always attach importance to such symptoms and do not pay attention to the first signs of pathology. At rest, the pain subsides. Only in the second and third stages is pain constantly present. However, if you position the limb correctly, the pain will go away. With arthritis, the pain does not subside and the highest peak of its development is reached at night, closer to the morning.
Cracking is a typical feature of osteoarthritis and chronic arthritis.
A crisis occurs due to a decrease in the elasticity of the cartilage tissue and an increase in friction between the articular surfaces. In the initial stage, you may notice a crunch in your fingers, and then larger joints are affected. A distinctive feature of joint cracking is the harsh, dry sound that the joint produces.
Limitation of mobility in a joint and stiffness in movements are typical symptoms of osteoarthritis and arthritis, but in the case of osteoarthritis, joint problems differ depending on the location, that is, one joint is affected specific and, with arthritis, a systemic pathology, discomfort is observed not only in the joints, but throughout the body.
Joint deformities are observed in both pathologies, but they have distinctive characteristics. With osteoarthritis, the changes affect only the joint itself, and the inflammatory process in arthritis causes changes in the skin: swelling, redness and hyperthermia can be seen. In addition, arthritis is accompanied by general somatic pathology: body temperature increases, a typical febrile state appears, sweating increases, weakness and drowsiness appear. Conjunctivitis may begin and chronic diseases may become complicated. With osteoarthritis there are no such symptoms, but if osteoarthritis has developed, inflammation will also accompany osteoarthritis.
The doctor must carefully differentiate the signs of arthritis and osteoarthritis, so if negative symptoms appear, consultation with a specialist is necessary.
Diagnosis
To begin the treatment of the disease, the 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, so at the initial stage you can contact a rheumatologist or therapist, and then you will need to 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 do not show any abnormalities, doctors lean towards osteoarthritis as a preliminary diagnosis.
If the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the blood plasma increases, rheumatoid arthritis is suspected, since there is a clear indication of an inflammatory process. Normally, the speed increases above 25 mm/h. An additional confirming sign will be joint pain, which worsens at night. In fairness, we note that an increase in ESR is also possible with osteoarthritis, if it is accompanied by inflammation.
An additional argument in favor of rheumatoid arthritis will be an increased 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 solely on a blood test, since it is impossible to reliably determine one of the diseases with this analysis. It is necessary to carry out 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;
- computed tomography;
- radioisotope exploration.
Doctors take into account tests, a carefully collected medical history and the results of a blood test, after which a certain disease is diagnosed.
Treatment
For the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis to be successful, it is necessary to choose the appropriate treatment strategy. Please note that it is not always possible to completely cure the disease, and in some cases long-term remission is considered a great success.
To alleviate exacerbations and prevent relapses of diseases, it is imperative to treat them with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Medications have a particularly powerful effect on the arthritic body and also affect the positive dynamics of osteoarthritis.
Features of the use of non-steroidal 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 during administration;
- patients with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, disorders of the liver, kidneys and heart are prohibited from taking NSAIDs;
- Do not increase the dosage of medications without the permission of a doctor, as a negative reaction may occur if individual sensitivity occurs;
- When taking medications, you should take them with a large glass of water;
- when taking NSAIDs, it is prohibited to combine several medications, as well as drink alcoholic beverages;
- It is prohibited to take NSAIDs during pregnancy.
By contacting a doctor, the patient will be prescribed effective treatment with the safest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after the examination. Basically, all drugs in this group can be divided into cyclooxygenase inhibitors 1 and 2. COX-2 inhibitors are considered to be drugs that are more loyal to the body.
Many drugs include first and second generation inhibitors. These are ointments, patches, gels and tablets.
Medications to relieve muscle spasms (muscle relaxants) will be helpful in treatment. Typically, this often happens in patients suffering from osteoarthritis or arthritis. With severe pain in the joints, the muscles experience severe tension, and with prolonged discomfort they suffer from a lack of nutrition and oxygen, so it is very important to quickly relieve the discomfort accompanying the disease.
During therapy, an indispensable condition is the normalization of metabolic processes. This is possible after the inflammation subsides and the muscle spasm is relieved. Metabolic medications for patients with arthritis and osteoarthritis are adenosine triphosphoric acid, inosine, adenosine phosphate, B vitamins, and anabolic steroids.
To eliminate salts from osteoarthritis, a special series of medications are prescribed, as well as means to achieve optimal acid-base balance.
To cure arthritis and osteoarthritis or achieve lasting positive dynamics, it is very important to take all the medications recommended by your doctor. Moreover, this must be done in accordance with the regimen prescribed by the doctor, because 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. They are ointments with bee and snake venom. These preparations also include essential oils. During the massage, you can add eucalyptus and ginger oil, ginger, marjoram, rosemary or juniper.
For arthritis and osteoarthritis, warm 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 or two drops of marjoram oil and black pepper per one tablespoon of olive oil. Add 15 to 20 drops to the bath. The recipe helps a lot if the patient has osteoarthritis of the legs. Baths with oils can be done every afternoon at night.
Black poplar also has an excellent effect. Not all patients know how to treat arthritis and osteoarthritis with black poplar, but it is very easy to do. From a healthy tree, you need to collect rot, young leaves and buds, 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 bathing, it is advisable to warm up and lie in bed for an hour.
Home remedies are of great help even if the patient suffers from osteoarthritis, a severe combination of bone deformities along with an inflammatory process in the joint. For treatment, it is necessary 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 with 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 brought until the water is at the optimal temperature. After bathing, areas damaged by osteoarthritis or arthritis are treated with fir oil and wrapped in a scarf.
Prevention
As preventive measures, doctors give patients the following advice:
- completely treat all infectious pathologies, do not interrupt the course of therapy with antibacterial drugs, so as not to leave foci of inflammation in the body;
- follow a balanced diet;
- wear comfortable shoes that do not restrict your feet;
- get rid of excess weight, which creates additional stress on the limbs;
- do not make your feet too cold, be careful in humid climates and cold seasons;
- protect yourself from injuries and, when actively playing sports, use special elastic bandages, supports and bandages;
- Do daily gymnastics, walk in the fresh air to activate blood circulation in the body, and when the first symptoms of arthritis or osteoarthritis are detected, do special joint gymnastics - exercises for hands, ankles and knees.
Arthritis and osteoarthritis are serious injuries to the joint surfaces. If treated incorrectly or untimely, they can lead to disability, which is why doctors strongly recommend consulting a doctor at the first symptoms of the disease.