Tissues of healthy joints consist of cells capable of recovery from damage - regeneration. Bones, cartilage, synovium and other ingredients 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. An already diseased joint can hardly bear the load. It is very difficult to cure. In order to avoid or overcome the disease, it is necessary to understand the defense mechanisms of joint tissues and cells. There are arthritis, arthrosis, polyarthritis and other diseases in the area of joint damage. Let's look in detail at the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis.
The first cause of the disease
The joint is protected by a neuromuscular pad. Thanks to the muscle contraction control system, the shock effect does not occur or is alleviated. The nervous system ensures smooth movements, load distribution. At rest, the muscles also stimulate microvibrations, which leads to the release of lubricants, the removal of dead cells.
Damage to neuromuscular attenuation occurs due to poor conduction of nerve pathways. For example, fatigue weakens the joint's defenses. Dead cells begin to accumulate without time to excrete. The result is inflammation. Weakening of the defense accelerates the degradation of not only the joints but also the spine.
Numerous factors increase the risk of joint diseases, starting with strokes, bruises, overload, hypothermia. Arthritis occurs - a process of inflammation. If it is impossible to cure for months, deformities begin - arthrosis.
What is arthritis: causes, symptoms
Reasons for this can be stated:
- Wrong food.
- Bad habits: alcohol, smoking.
- Systemic 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 sensitivity, limited mobility (or synovitis).
- Sharp pains on movement and at rest.
- Stiffness in the morning due to swelling overnight. An hour after the start of the activity passes.
In addition to the above signs, symptoms of inflammation may also 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 at rest, but during exertion. Unpleasant sensations occur in the hip or knee joint while walking, using a ladder, or exercising. This initial pain may disappear with further movements. There is also a strong painful sensation, followed by crunching, bending, bending.
- Pain when moving after a break occurs as a result of deposition on the rubbing surfaces of detritus - the product of cartilage and bone destruction. The sensation may cease after 15 minutes as this precipitate is expelled.
- Dull pain at night occurs as a result of venous congestion.
In osteoarthritis, inflammation often occurs. Along with painful sensations, swelling is also noticed (as in arthritis). If symptoms of both diseases are present, arthrosis-arthritis is diagnosed.
Prolonged course of osteoarthritis can lead to limited mobility. In the muscles and tendons, degenerative changes (contractures) begin, and then deformations. In this case, the diagnosis is made - deforming arthrosis or osteoarthritis.
Distinguish the stages of the disease that are determined by X-rays as a result of computed tomography:
- 1 degree- slight changes in cartilage, bones. Painful swelling occurs with moderate exertion and decreases after a period of rest.
- 2nd degree- destruction of cartilage, growth of bone tissue at the edges in the form of osteophytes. Narrowing of the joint space, followed by constant pain. Swelling also becomes stable.
- 3, 4 degrees- great destruction of cartilage and bone. The swelling does not go away, the ligaments and muscles do not work properly and deformation occurs. The load axis is disturbed in the joint.
The risk factors that lead to osteoarthritis are:
- Lack of mobility.
- Overweight.
- Age factors.
- Infections caused by insufficient blood and lymph 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. Diseases 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. Arthritis pain is the result of tissue inflammation. The synovium is affected, the blood supply, the lymph is disturbed, the disease affects the nerve endings. The joint stops eating properly and also does not produce lubricant. Cartilage suffers.
The disease can be noticed not only in adults but also in children (juvenile form). The lesion affects all joints, even small ones like fingers, and can cover several of them (polyarthritis).
Osteoarthritis occurs as a result of a long course of arthritis. Cartilage and the entire joint do not receive food from the synovial fluid (lubricant) for a long time. There are often exacerbations in the form of inflammation. First, the cartilage is destroyed, like a bone covering, 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. Affecting large joints (hip - coxarthrosis or knee - gonarthrosis), this can lead to disability, making a person disabled. Toes (osteoarthritis) and feet are less commonly affected. The disease can also be noticed in the temporomandibular, elbow, shoulder and other joints.
Thus, arthrosis is a consequence of the development of arthritis symptoms, taking a destructive phase.
Prevention and treatment
Nutritional deficiencies of cartilage and joints in arthritis should not be exacerbated by inflammation. Simultaneously with the repayment of the focus with anti-inflammatory drugs, the cause must be removed. If you do not take action, the disease can turn into osteoarthritis. If you suspect both diseases, you need to properly diagnose, for which you need to consult a specialist. This is done by a rheumatologist, orthopedic traumatologist and surgeon. It is necessary to visit the clinic. And in some diagnostic centers, such patients are treated by an arthrologist.
An important principle of healing is to stop the destruction while encouraging 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 the disease appear, it is necessary to reduce the load on the joint.
Drug therapy includes:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs relieve pain.
- Hormonal preparations in the form of injections.
- Cytostatics reduce the number of antibodies that kill cells.
- Cartilage and synovial fluid are regenerated by chondoprotectors.
It does not stimulate lymph flow which clears tissues of affected cells. But there is a method of vibroacoustic therapy, which consists of exposure to microvibrations from vibroacoustic therapy (from 30 to 20, 000 Hz). Physiotherapy and exercises are also used. In stages 3 and 4 of the disease, prosthetics are resorted to.
Conclusion
Painful sensations in the joints and dysfunction of their functions cause a lot of serious problems. But an even bigger problem is the inflammatory processes that occur in them, the destruction that restricts movement, leads to deformations, disability. It is important to properly identify the disease so that treatment can be carried out in a timely manner. It is necessary to understand the causes of these problems, as well as to be aware of the available ways to overcome them.