Healthy joint tissues are made up of cells that are able to recover from damage - regeneration. Bones, cartilage, synovium, and other constituents can become unhealthy. Dead and damaged cells accumulate in some tissues. They lack 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 the disease or overcome it, 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 osteoarthritis.
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 load distribution. In a relaxed state, the muscles also stimulate micro-vibrations, 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 the defenses of a joint. Dead cells begin to accumulate without having time to be excreted. The result is inflammation. The weakening of the protection accelerates the degradation not only of the joints, but also of the spine.
A number of factors increase the risk of joint disease, starting with blows, bruises, overload, hypothermia. Arthritis occurs - an inflammatory process. If it is impossible to cure it for months, deformations begin - arthrosis.
What is arthritis: causes, symptoms
You can specify the reasons for occurrence:
- Wrong food.
- Bad habits: alcohol, smoking.
- Systematic hypothermia.
- Injuries.
- Excessive stress on the 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 (i. e. 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 occur 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 pain may disappear with further movement. There is also a strong painful sensation, accompanied by a creak, when bending over, not bending.
- Pain when starting to move after rest appears as a result of the deposit of debris on the rubbing surfaces - products of the destruction of cartilage and bones. The sensation may cease after 15 minutes as this sediment is expelled.
- Dull pain at night appears 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 disorders are present, osteoarthritis-arthritis is diagnosed.
The long-term course of osteoarthritis can lead to limited mobility. In the muscles, the tendons initiate degenerative changes (contractures) and thus deformation. In this case, the diagnosis is made: osteoarthritis or deforming osteoarthritis.
Distinguish the stages of the disease, which are determined by X-ray images, as a result of computed tomography:
- 1 degree- slight alterations of cartilage, bones. Painful swelling occurs with moderate exertion, which subsides 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 becomes stable.
- 3. 4 degrees- extensive destruction of cartilage and bone. The swelling does not go away, the ligaments and muscles do not function properly, and deformation occurs. The load axis is disturbed in the joint.
The risk factors leading to osteoarthritis are:
- Insufficient 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. Disorders affecting 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 tissue inflammation. The synovium is affected, its blood supply, the lymph is interrupted, the disease affects the nerve endings. The joint stops eating properly and also does not produce lubricant. Cartilage suffers.
The disease can be observed not only in adults, but also in children (juvenile form). The lesion affects all joints, even as small as the fingers, and can cover many of them (polyarthritis).
Osteoarthritis occurs as a consequence of prolonged arthritis. The cartilage and the entire joint do not receive nourishment 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 lining of the bone, and in the later stages the bone tissue can suffer. Cartilage areas do not have time to regenerate, they soften. Due to the violation of the sliding surfaces in the joint, pain appears.
This disease manifests itself after 40 years. By affecting the large joints (hip - coxarthrosis or knee - gonarthrosis), it can lead to disability, rendering a person disabled. Fingers (osteoarthritis) and feet are less commonly affected. 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 the symptoms of arthritis, which are taking on a destructive phase.
Prevention and treatment
Nutritional deficiencies of the cartilage and joints in arthritis should not be aggravated by inflammation. Simultaneously with the repayment of the foci with anti-inflammatory drugs, the cause must be eliminated. If you don't act, the disease can turn into osteoarthritis. 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 necessary to visit the clinic. And in some diagnostic centers, such patients are served by an arthrologist.
An important healing principle is stopping the destruction by stimulating recovery. This approach will help prevent irreversible changes. To do this, the tissues are cleaned of damaged cells resulting from 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, 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 lymphatic flow, which cleans the tissues of the affected cells, is not stimulated. But there is a method of vibroacoustic therapy, which consists of exposure to microvibration from vibroacoustic therapy (30 to 20, 000 Hz). And also physiotherapy, exercises are used. At 3 and 4 stages of the disease, they resort to prostheses.
Conclusion
Painful sensation in the joint area and dysfunctions of their functions cause many serious problems. But an even greater problem is the processes of inflammation occurring in them, destruction that limits movement, leads to deformations, disabilities. It is important to correctly identify the disease 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 ways available to overcome them.