Joint pain can make life unbearable.After consulting a doctor, a record of the diagnosed osteoarthritis or arthritis will appear on the outpatient card.
People far from medicine have little idea of the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis and mistakenly consider them the same disease.
In fact, these are two completely different pathological processes that can occur simultaneously.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis refers to degenerative-inflammatory processes and develops due to age-related changes in the structure of cartilage tissue.
It affects the mobile joints of large bones and, more rarely, the joints of the fingers.
Appearance of a joint with osteoarthritis
Metabolic disorders of cartilage are the main cause of pathological changes.Violation of cartilage trophism leads to irreversible loss of proteoglycans and loss of tissue elasticity.
Dystrophic changes in cartilage lead to pathological changes in the structure of the articular surfaces of bones.Over time, the degeneration process extends to the periarticular tissues.
Types of osteoarthritis
Depending on their origin, they distinguish between primary and secondary osteoarthritis.
The primary form affects previously healthy joints and is a consequence of age-related changes and inadequate physical activity.The time of appearance of the first symptoms of osteoarthritis depends on hereditary predisposition, characteristics of professional activity and lifestyle.
Traditionally, people over 45 years of age are considered at risk, but there is now a steady trend towards earlier incidence.The disease mainly affects women, but with age, sex addiction gradually subsides.
Secondary osteoarthritis 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 osteoarthritis 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, changes in joint fluid occur.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 habitual and the course of the accompanying inflammation becomes wave-like.The cartilage begins to deteriorate and compensatory bony growths form at the edges of the joint area.Periarticular 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 lead to irreversible anatomical changes, including changes in the axis of the limb.The function of the ligamentous apparatus is disrupted, abnormal mobility appears in the affected joint against the background of limited natural mobility.
Depending on the location of the lesion, they are distinguished:
- gonarthrosis,
- coxarthrosis,
- spondyloarthrosis,
- osteoarthritis of the interphalangeal joints of the hands.
Other locations of the pathology are relatively rare.
Gonarthrosis, osteoarthritis of the knee joint
Risk factors for developing this condition include hereditary predisposition, overuse, or knee injuries due to occupational characteristics.
According to statistics, arthritic lesions of the knee joints are more often diagnosed in women.
In the early stages of development, the disease manifests itself as discomfort in the affected joint and aching pain.Depending on the causes of the lesion, there are several forms of knee osteoarthritis.
Some of them are characterized by a lack of long-term progression;the patient’s condition remains stable for decades.However, there are also those that develop quickly and cause loss of mobility of the affected limb.
Coxarthrosis, osteoarthritis of the hip joint
With this disease, a classic clinical picture of osteoarthritis is observed.
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 spare the affected limb, avoid walking on it and, when stopping, choose positions in which the pain is least felt.
Spinal osteoarthritis, spondyloarthrosis
Spondyloarthrosis refers to pathologies that develop against the background of degenerative processes of the intervertebral discs.
The first and main symptom of developing spinal osteoarthritis is pain when bending from side to side or back and forth.
When a person takes a horizontal position, the pain gradually subsides.
Over time, in the absence of adequate treatment, mobility in the affected part of the spine may be completely lost.
Without proper treatment, spinal osteoarthritis can cause intervertebral hernias and joint deformities.In severe cases, the patient loses the ability to perform usual movements and becomes disabled.
Osteoarthritis of the interphalangeal joints of the hands
The disease mainly affects women.Among the first symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain upon contact with cold water and when tensing the fingers.Over time, joints become deformed due to compaction of adjacent tissues and the formation of characteristic bony growths.
The disease has a wave-like course, in the acute stage the joints swell, partially lose mobility, and tactile sensitivity may be impaired.
Treatment of osteoarthritis
It is impossible to completely cure osteoarthritis with modern medicine.However, timely diagnosis and complex therapy aimed at preventing further destruction of cartilage tissue help to 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 avoiding carrying heavy objects, staying in one position for a long time, and limiting time spent standing.For overweight patients, it is vital to lose weight.
In the drug treatment of osteoarthritis, we use:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, internally in the form of injections or tablets and externally as part of ointments.The form and scheme of use are prescribed depending on the patient’s condition;
- drugs from the group of chondroprotectors to maintain the condition of cartilage tissue;
- steroidal anti-inflammatories in the form of intra-articular injections.Prescribed in severe cases;
- hyaluronic acid preparations to improve joint mobility.
Additionally, 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 to undergo exercise therapy, selected based on the characteristics of the course of the disease.
Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that occurs as an underlying disease, concomitant pathology or complication of a previous infectious disease.
Appearance of arthritic joints
Among the typical causes of inflammatory processes in the joints:
- metabolic disorders in the body;
- lack of vitamins;
- injuries;
- autoimmune diseases;
- infectious lesions of various etiologies.
Unlike osteoarthritis, the pathological processes of arthritis affect periarticular tissues.The onset of pain does not depend on physical activity or body position and often bothers at night.
Noises in the joints characteristic of the early stages of osteoarthritis are rarely observed.A general blood test indicates the presence of an inflammatory process;when examining joints, characteristic degenerative changes in cartilage are rarely detected.
The symptom common to both diseases is pain.Any unusual and unpleasant sensation in the joints is a good reason to consult a doctor.The success of treatment largely depends on timely detection and treatment of the disease.
Types of arthritis
Depending on their occurrence, arthritis is divided into several types:
- infectious arthritis.They develop as independent diseases due to wound infection (primary infectious arthritis) or when a pathogen enters the bloodstream from organs affected by infection (secondary arthritis);
- rheumatoid arthritis.This chronic disease is of infectious-autoimmune origin and usually develops in middle-aged and older people;
- gouty arthritis.The inflammatory process is caused 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 can develop several years after its consequences have been eliminated;
- juvenile rheumatoid arthritisaffects children under 16 years old.The causes of this disease are not yet known.The evolution is chronic, progressive.
The course of arthritis can be acute or chronic.In the acute course, the disease develops rapidly, with severe swelling, severe pain in the affected area, local or general increase in temperature.
In the case of chronic arthritis, symptoms gradually increase and the disease may progress over the years.With untimely or inappropriate treatment, acute arthritis can become chronic.
Depending on the characteristics of the lesion, monoarthritis and polyarthritis are distinguished.In monoarthritis, the lesion is located on 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 antibiotic treatment or other medications, depending on the nature of the pathogen.
To eliminate inflammation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used in the form of injections, tablets and/or externally in the form of an ointment or gel.
Additionally, drugs from the groups of chondroprotectors, antihistamines and general restoratives can be prescribed.In some cases, patients are prescribed drugs that improve blood microcirculation.
In addition to drug treatment, patients are prescribed a series of physiotherapeutic procedures, and during the remission period - a set of exercise therapy exercises.
In severe and advanced cases, surgery may be necessary.
Without specialist help, arthritis and osteoarthritis can lead to disability.
Self-medication for joint diseases is contraindicated;In the vast majority of cases, the patient's condition gradually worsens.
Any change in the functionality of the joint is a reason to consult a doctor.
Prevention measures
To prevent arthritis and osteoarthritis, it is important to optimize physical activity by avoiding overload.People diagnosed with the disease, as well as those at risk, should adjust their diet in favor of healthy foods, reduce alcohol consumption and quit smoking.
People prone to obesity are advised to maintain normal body weight, since increased load on the musculoskeletal system can cause or accelerate pathological changes.
To quickly detect the disease at an early stage, it is important to undergo regular preventive examinations.