Healthy joint tissues are made up of cells capable of recovering from damage: regeneration. Bones, cartilage, synovium, and other components can become unhealthy. Dead and 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 effort, 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 cure. To avoid the disease or overcome it, it is necessary to know the defense mechanisms of the joint tissues and cells. In the area of joint damage, arthritis, osteoarthritis, polyarthritis and other ailments are distinguished. Let us consider in detail the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis.
First cause of illness
The joint is protected by neuromuscular cushioning. Thanks to the muscle contraction control system, the shock effect is neither produced nor mitigated. The nervous system ensures smooth movements and load distribution. In a calm state, the muscles also stimulate microvibrations, leading to the release of lubricant, the removal of dead cells.
Neuromuscular impairment occurs due to poor conduction of the nerve pathways. For example, fatigue weakens the defenses of a joint. Dead cells begin to accumulate without having time to excrete. The result is inflammation. The weakening of the protection accelerates the degradation not only of the joints, but also of the spine.
Several factors increase the risk of joint diseases, from bumps, bruises, overuse, hypothermia. Arthritis occurs, a process of inflammation. If it is impossible to cure it for months, deformities begin - arthrosis.
What is arthritis: causes, symptoms
You can specify the reasons for the occurrence:
- Wrong food.
- Bad habits: alcohol, smoking.
- Systematic hypothermia.
- Injuries.
- Excessive stress on the joints.
- Consequences of past illnesses, infections.
The disease is detected by the following symptoms:
- Swelling in the joint area, painful sensations, increased sensation, limited mobility (ie, synovitis).
- Sharp pains when moving and at rest.
- Stiffness in the morning due to swelling at night. One 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 osteoarthritis: causes and symptoms
As a consequence of progressive arthritis, the symptoms of osteoarthritis in most cases appear only after 40 years.
The disease is characterized by the following manifestations:
- Pain does not appear in a calm state, but during exertion. Unpleasant sensations occur in the hip or knee joint when walking, using a ladder, or exercising. This initial pain may go away with more movements. There is also a strong feeling of pain, accompanied by a crunch, when bending, when bending.
- Pain when starting to move after rest appears as a result of the deposition of debris on the surfaces that are rubbed, products of the destruction of cartilage and bone. The sensation may stop after 15 minutes because this sediment is expelled.
- Dull pain appears at night as a result of venous congestion.
With osteoarthritis, inflammation often occurs. Along with painful sensations, swelling is observed (as in arthritis). If symptoms of both ailments occur, osteoarthritis-arthritis is diagnosed.
The prolonged course of osteoarthritis can lead to limited mobility. In 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: slight changes in cartilage and bone. Painful swelling occurs with moderate exertion, subsiding after a period of rest.
- 2 degrees: destruction of cartilage, growth of bone tissue at the edges in the form of osteophytes. Narrowing of the joint space, accompanied by constant pain. The swelling also stabilizes.
- 3. 4 degrees: extensive destruction of cartilage and bone. The swelling does not go away, the ligaments and muscles do not work properly, and deformation occurs. The load shaft is disturbed in the joint.
The risk factors that lead to osteoarthritis are:
- Lack of mobility.
- Overweight.
- Age factors.
- Infections resulting from insufficient blood and lymphatic flow, stagnation.
In all situations, the tissues do not have time to recover during the joint destruction process.
Differences between arthritis and osteoarthritis
Both arthritis and osteoarthritis are becoming more common diseases. Ailments that affect the joints have similar names. The differences lie in the nature of the negative changes that occur during the onset and development of symptoms. Pain in arthritis is a consequence of inflammation of the tissues. The synovium is affected, its blood supply is disrupted, the lymph is disrupted, the disease affects the nerve endings. The joint stops eating properly and does not produce lubricant either. Cartilage suffers.
The disease can be observed not only in adults, but also in children (juvenile form). The injury affects any joint, even small ones like the fingers, and can also cover several of them (polyarthritis).
Osteoarthritis occurs as a result of a prolonged course of arthritis. Cartilage and the entire joint do not receive nourishment from synovial (lubricating) fluid for a long time. Often there are exacerbations in the form of inflammation. First, the cartilage, such as the covering of the bone, is destroyed, and in the following stages the bone tissue can suffer. Cartilaginous areas do not have time to regenerate, they soften. Due to the violation of the sliding surfaces in the joint, pain appears.
This disease occurs after 40 years. By affecting large joints (hip coxarthrosis or knee osteoarthritis), it can lead to disability, rendering the person disabled. The fingers (osteoarthritis) and feet are affected less often. And also the disease can be observed in the temporomandibular joints, elbow, shoulder and other joints.
Therefore, osteoarthritis is a consequence of the development of arthritis symptoms, taking a destructive stage.
Prevention and treatment
The nutritional deficiencies of cartilage and joints in arthritis should not be aggravated by inflammation. Simultaneously with the reimbursement of the bulbs with anti-inflammatory drugs, the cause must be eliminated. If you do not take action, the disease can turn into osteoarthritis. If you suspect both ailments, you must diagnose correctly, for which you should consult a specialist doctor. This is done by a rheumatologist, orthopedic traumatologist, and surgeon. It is mandatory to visit the clinic. And in some diagnostic centers, these patients are seen by an arthrologist.
An important principle of healing is stopping destruction while stimulating recovery. This approach will help prevent irreversible changes. To do this, the tissues are cleaned of cells damaged as a result of injury or infection. Increases blood and lymphatic flow, nutrition. Insufficient conduction of nerve connections from the spine is often the cause of the development of arthritis and osteoarthritis. When signs of disease appear, it is necessary to reduce the load on the joint.
Drug therapy includes:
- Non-steroidal drugs that inhibit inflammation and relieve pain.
- Hormonal preparations in the form of injections.
- Cytostatics reduce the amount of antibodies that kill cells.
- Cartilage and synovial fluid are restored with chondroprotectors.
Lymphatic flow is not stimulated, cleaning the tissues of affected cells. But there is a method of vibroacoustic therapy, which consists of exposure to microvibrations from vibroacoustic therapy (30 to 20, 000 Hz). And also physiotherapy, exercises are used. In 3 and 4 stages of the disease, they turn to prosthetics.
Conclusion
The sensation of pain in the joint area and the dysfunctions of its functions cause many serious problems. But an even bigger problem is the inflammation processes that occur in them, destruction that restricts movement, leads to deformations, disability. It is important to correctly identify the ailment so that the treatment can be carried out in time. You need to understand the causes of these problems, as well as know the ways available to overcome them.