The tissues of healthy joints consist of cells capable of recovering from damage - regeneration. Bones, cartilage, synovium and other constituents can become unhealthy. Dead, damaged cells accumulate in certain tissues. They do not have the ability to divide, which inhibits regeneration. They are difficult to remove, which is the main problem in restoring joint health.
Under any physical exertion, strong mechanical stress can damage cells and lead to their death. It is difficult for an already diseased joint to bear the load. It is very difficult to heal. To avoid or overcome the disease, it is necessary to understand the defense mechanisms of joint tissues and cells. In the area of joint damage, arthritis, arthrosis, polyarthritis and other ailments are distinguished. Let's consider in detail the difference between arthritis and arthrosis.
First cause of disease
The joint is protected by neuromuscular cushioning. Thanks to the muscle contraction control system, the shock effect does not occur or is mitigated. The nervous system ensures smooth movements and distribution of loads. In a calm state, the muscles also stimulate microvibrations, leading to the release of lubricant, the removal of dead cells.
Impaired neuromuscular damping occurs due to poor conduction of nerve pathways. For example, fatigue weakens a joint's defenses. Dead cells begin to accumulate without having time to be excreted. The result is inflammation. The weakening of protection accelerates the degradation of not only the joints, but also the spine.
A number of factors increase the risk of joint diseases, starting from blows, bruises, overload, hypothermia. Arthritis occurs - an inflammation process. If it is impossible to cure it for months, deformities begin - arthrosis.
What is arthritis: causes, symptoms
The reasons for the occurrence can be specified:
- Incorrect food.
- Bad habits: alcohol, smoking.
- Systematic hypothermia.
- Injuries.
- Excessive stress on joints.
- Consequences of past diseases, infections.
The disease is detected by the following symptoms:
- Swelling in the joint area, painful sensations, increased sensitivity, limited mobility (that is, synovitis).
- Sharp pains on movement and at rest.
- Stiffness in the morning due to swelling overnight. An hour after the start, the activity passes.
In addition to the listed signs, symptoms of inflammation may appear: weakness, sweating, chills, fever. Some have headaches, weight loss. Sometimes concomitant diseases occur: the heart and lungs are affected.
What is arthrosis: causes and symptoms
As a consequence of progressive arthritis, the symptoms of arthrosis in most cases appear only after 40 years.
The disease is characterized by the following manifestations:
- The pain does not appear in a calm state, but during exertion. Unpleasant sensations occur in the hip or knee joint while walking, using a ladder, or exercising. This initial soreness can disappear with further movements. There is also a strong painful sensation, accompanied by a crunch, when bending, unbending.
- Pain when starting to move after rest appears as a result of deposition on rubbing surfaces of detritus - products of destruction of cartilage and bone. The sensation may stop after 15 minutes because this sediment is pushed out.
- Dull pain at night appears as a result of venous congestion.
With arthrosis, inflammation often occurs. Along with painful sensations, swelling is observed (as in arthritis). If symptoms of both ailments are present, arthrosis-arthritis is diagnosed.
Long-term course of arthrosis can lead to limited mobility. In the muscles, tendons, degenerative changes (contractures) begin, and then deformation. In this case, the diagnosis is made - deforming arthrosis or osteoarthritis.
Distinguish the stages of the disease, which are determined by X-ray images, as a result of computed tomography:
- 1 degree- mild changes in cartilage, bone. Painful swelling occurs with moderate exertion, decreasing after a period of rest.
- 2 degree- destruction of cartilage, growth of bone tissue at the edges in the form of osteophytes. Narrowing of the joint space, accompanied by constant pain. Puffiness also becomes stable.
- 3, 4 degrees- extensive destruction of cartilage and bone. The swelling does not go away, the ligaments and muscles do not work correctly, and deformation occurs. The load axis is disturbed in the joint.
Risk factors leading to arthrosis are:
- Lack of mobility.
- Overweight.
- Age factors.
- Infections arising from insufficient blood and lymph flow, stagnation.
In all situations, tissues do not have time to recover during the process of joint destruction.
Differences between arthritis and arthrosis
Both arthritis and arthrosis are becoming more common diseases. Ailments affecting the joints have similar names. The differences lie in the nature of negative changes that occur during the onset and development of symptoms. Pain in arthritis is a consequence of tissue inflammation. The synovium is affected, its supply of blood, lymph is disrupted, the disease affects the nerve endings. The joint ceases to eat properly, and it also fails to produce lubricant. Cartilage suffers.
The disease can be observed not only in adults, but also in children (juvenile form). The lesion affects any joints, even small ones like fingers, and can also cover several of them (polyarthritis).
Arthrosis occurs as a result of a prolonged course of arthritis. The cartilage and the entire joint do not receive nutrition from the synovial fluid (lubricant) for a long time. Often there are exacerbations in the form of inflammation. First, the cartilage is destroyed, like the covering of the bone, and in the following stages the bone tissue may suffer. Cartilaginous areas do not have time to regenerate, they soften. Due to the violation of sliding surfaces in the joint, pain appears.
This disease occurs after 40 years. Affecting large joints (hip - coxarthrosis or knee - gonarthrosis), it can lead to disability, making a person disabled. Fingers (osteoarthritis) and feet are less commonly affected. And also the disease can be observed in the temporomandibular, elbow, shoulder and other joints.
Thus, arthrosis is a consequence of the development of symptoms of arthritis, taking a destructive stage.
Prevention and Treatment
Cartilage and joint nutritional deficiencies in arthritis should not be aggravated by inflammation. Simultaneously with the repayment of foci with anti-inflammatory drugs, the cause must be eliminated. If you do not take action, the disease can turn into arthrosis. If you suspect both ailments, you need to correctly diagnose, for which you need to consult a specialist doctor. This is done by a rheumatologist, orthopedic traumatologist and surgeon. It is required to visit the clinic. And in some diagnostic centers, such patients are served by an arthrologist.
An important principle of healing is to halt destruction while stimulating recovery. This approach will help prevent irreversible changes. To do this, the tissues are cleaned of damaged cells resulting from injury or infection. Increase blood and lymph flow, nutrition. Insufficient conduction of nerve connections from the spine is often the cause of the development of arthritis and arthrosis. When signs of illness appear, it is necessary to reduce the load on the joint.
Drug therapy includes:
- Non-steroidal drugs that inhibit inflammation, relieve pain.
- Hormonal preparations in the form of injections.
- Cytostatics reduce the number of antibodies that kill cells.
- Cartilage and synovial fluid are restored with chondoprotectors.
The lymph flow, which cleans the tissues of the affected cells, is not stimulated. But there is a method of vibroacoustic therapy, which consists in exposure to microvibration from vibroacoustic therapy (from 30 to 20, 000 Hz). And also physiotherapy, exercises are used. At 3 and 4 stages of the disease, they resort to prosthetics.
Conclusion
Painful sensation in the area of joints and dysfunctions of their functions cause a lot of serious troubles. But an even greater problem is the processes of inflammation occurring in them, destruction that restrict movement, lead to deformations, disability. It is important to correctly identify the ailment so that treatment can be carried out on time. It is necessary to understand the causes of these problems, as well as be aware of the available ways to overcome them.