Joint pain can make life unbearable.After visiting a doctor, a record of diagnosed arthropathy or arthritis will appear on the outpatient card.
People who are far from medicine have little idea of the difference between arthritis and rheumatism and mistakenly consider them to be the same disease.
In fact, these are two completely different pathological processes that can occur at the same time.
Arthritis
Arthropathy refers to degenerative-inflammatory processes and develops due to age-related changes in the structure of cartilage tissue.
It affects the moving joints of the large bones and less often the joints of the fingers.
Show hinged joint
The main cause of the pathological changes are the metabolic disorders in the cartilage.Violation of cartilage trophism leads to irreversible loss of proteoglycans and loss of tissue elasticity.
Dystrophic changes in the cartilage involve pathological changes in the structure of the articular surfaces of the bones.Over time, the degeneration process spreads to the periarticular tissues.
Types of joints
Based on their origin, they distinguish between primary and secondary arthropathy.
The primary form affects previously healthy joints and is a consequence of age-related changes and insufficient physical activity.The time of appearance of the first symptoms of arthropathy depends on hereditary predisposition, characteristics of professional activity and lifestyle.
Traditionally, people over the age of 45 have been considered at risk, but now there is a steady trend toward earlier incidence.The disease mainly affects women, but with age, gender dependence gradually normalizes.
Secondary arthropathy develops in the context of a previous injury or certain diseases of a different nature, such as:
- autoimmune processes;
- metabolic disorders;
- endocrine dysfunction;
- pathologies of the structure of bone joints.
- genetic diseases;
- inflammatory processes.
Secondary arthropathy is not related to the aging process and can occur at any age.
There are three stages in the development of the disease.
In the first stage, changes occur in the synovial fluid.The nutrition of the cartilage is disturbed and its resistance to stress is reduced.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 common and the course of the accompanying inflammation becomes undulating.The cartilage begins to wear away 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 connective apparatus is disturbed, abnormal mobility appears in the affected joint against a background of limited physical mobility.
Depending on the location of the damage, they are distinguished:
- gonoarthrosis,
- coxal joint,
- vertebrae,
- joints of the interphalangeal joints of the hands.
Other pathology findings are relatively rare.
Genarthrosis, arthropathy of the knee joint
Risk factors for developing this disease include hereditary predisposition, overuse or occupational injuries to the knee.
According to statistics, joint damage in the knee joints is diagnosed more often in women.
In the initial stages of development, the disease manifests as discomfort in the affected joint and pain.Depending on the causes of the damage, various forms of gonoarthrosis can be distinguished.
Some of them are characterized by a long-term lack of development.the patient's condition remains stable for decades.But there are also those that develop quickly and lead to loss of mobility of the affected limb.
Coxarthrosis, arthropathy of the hip joint
With this disease, a classic clinical picture of arthritis 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 take care of the affected limb, avoiding stepping on it and while they are still, they choose positions in which the pain is less noticeable.
Arthritis of the spine, spondylarthrosis
Spondyloarthritis refers to pathologies that develop in the context of degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs.
The first and main symptom of developing vertebral arthropathy 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 proper treatment, the mobility of the affected part of the spine can be completely lost.
Without proper treatment, vertebral arthropathy can cause intervertebral hernias and joint deformity.In severe cases, the patient loses the ability to perform normal movements and becomes disabled.
Articulations of the interphalangeal joints of the hands
The disease mainly affects women.Among the early symptoms of arthropathy are pain on contact with cold water and on straining the fingers.Over time, the joints are deformed due to the compression of adjacent tissues and the formation of characteristic bone waste.
The disease has a wave course, in the acute stage the joints swell, partially lose their mobility and the sensitivity of touch may be affected.
Treatment of arthritis
It is impossible to completely cure arthropathy with modern medicine.However, early diagnosis and complex treatment 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 on your feet.For overweight patients, it is vital to lose weight.
In the pharmaceutical treatment of arthropathy, the following are used:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, internally in the form of injections or tablets and externally as part of ointments.The form and regimen 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-inflammatory drugs in the form of intra-articular injections.It is prescribed in severe cases.
- hyaluronic acid preparations to improve joint mobility.
In addition, heating compresses and ointments, drugs that activate blood microcirculation and metabolic processes, antioxidants and microelement-vitamin complexes with selenium are used, and physiotherapy treatment is prescribed.In severe cases, it is necessary to resort to surgery.
During the remission period, the patient is recommended a course of exercise therapy, selected according to the characteristics of the course of the disease.
Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that occurs as an underlying disease, as an accompanying pathology or as a 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 arthropathy, pathological processes in arthritis affect the peri-articular tissues.The appearance of pain does not depend on physical activity and body position and often bothers you at night.
Joint noises that characterize the early stages of arthritis are rarely seen.A general blood test indicates the presence of an inflammatory process.when examining the joints, characteristic degenerative changes in the cartilage are rarely detected.
The common symptom of both diseases is pain.Any unusual and unpleasant sensations in the joints are a good reason to consult a doctor.The success of treatment largely depends on early detection and treatment of the disease.
Types of arthritis
Based on their appearance, arthritis is divided into several types:
- infectious arthritis.They develop as independent diseases due to infection of wounds (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.
- gout.The inflammatory process is caused by microtrauma of the cartilage surface by crystals of uric acid salts that form in the joint capsule.
- traumatic arthritisit develops as a reaction to trauma, but it can develop several years after its effects are gone.
- juvenile rheumatoid arthritisaffects children under 16 years of age.The causes of this disease are not yet known.The course 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 temperature rise.
With chronic arthritis, symptoms increase gradually and the disease can progress over the years.With untimely or inappropriate treatment, acute arthritis can become chronic.
According to the characteristics of the damage, monoarthritis and polyarthritis are distinguished.In monoarthritis, the damage is localized to one of the joints.when many joints are involved in the pathological process, polyarthritis is diagnosed.
Treatment of arthritis
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 antibiotics or other drugs, according to the nature of the pathogen.
To eliminate inflammation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used in the form of injections, tablets and/or externally in the form of ointment or gel.
In addition, 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 medication, patients are prescribed a course of physical therapy procedures and, during the remission period, a set of exercise therapy exercises.
In severe and advanced cases, surgery may be required.
Without specialist help, arthritis and rheumatism can lead to disability.
Self-medication for joint diseases is contraindicated.in the vast majority of cases, the patient's condition progressively worsens.
Any change in the functionality of the joint is a reason to visit a doctor.
Preventive measures
To prevent arthritis and rheumatism, it is important to optimize physical activity, 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 stop smoking.
People prone to obesity are advised to maintain a normal body weight, as increased load on the musculoskeletal system can cause or accelerate pathological changes.
For the early detection of the disease in the early stages, it is important to undergo regular preventive examinations.