Arthritis and arthritis are diseases in which the joints are affected.Since the names of these ailments are consonants, many people have thoughts on their identity.They perceive these terms as synonyms, which suggests that it is the same disease.However, osteoarthritis and arthritis are far from the same and there is a significant difference between it.In order to understand how osteoarthritis is different, let's discover what these diseases are.
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a collective term which means inflammation of all joints and most often indicates more extensive and serious pathological disorders in the body.That is to say that the disease is inflammatory and can impress both one and several joints.
There are a number of diseases that are accompanied by the development of arthritis:
- rheumatism;
- drop;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- Systemic lupus erythematosus;
- psoriasis;
- Hemhramatosis.
In addition, there is a reactive arthritis that develops following complications after infectious diseases:
- flu;
- syphilis;
- gonorrhea;
- mycoplasmosis;
- Chlamydia.
All these diseases are released in a separate group.
The inflammatory arthritis processes mainly affect synovial shell and synovial fluid, causing a disease (synovitis).Consequently, the quantity of this liquid increases, which is interpreted by the swelling of the affected joints.The cartilage that covers the surfaces of the bones is also ignited and, over time, the erosion that expresses the bone is formed on it.
What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a non -inflammatory dystrophic disease, which is associated with the deformation and destruction of the cartilage fabric inside the joint.That is to say, pathological changes occur, which manifest themselves in the dystrophy of cartilage lining the surfaces of the bones.Although sometimes it is a long -term inflammatory process that causes lightening and damage to cartilage.Arthritis is often observed in the elderly, because they wear cartilage tissues with age, and also osteoporosis occurs, which negatively affects the state of the support and the motor device.
In some cases, osteoarthritis can occur at a young age in people with long loads on the joints.This category includes athletes, people with obesity or people whose professional activity leads to rapid wear and engine wear.
The symptoms of the disease are caused by a violation of the functions of cartilage, because they are lightened and deformed, the bone tissue develops, which leads to the inability of the full performance of damping and the friction of the bones which form the joint.As a result, the amount of synovial fluid is reduced, which should wrap the joint surfaces.
General reasons for the development of osteoarthritis and arthritis
Since osteoarthritis and arthritis affect the joints and, in general, the entire support system, these diseases are developing as a result of many factors.
Let's look at ten reasons that cause these ills:
- hereditary factor;
- metabolic violation;
- immune factor (especially for arthritis);
- Congenital diseases of connective and bone tissue;
- joint injuries;
- overweight, obesity;
- excessive physical activity;
- unbalanced food;
- hypothermia;
- Infections.
These are general reasons that can cause both arthritis and osteoarthritis.But this is where their similarity ends.In addition, diseases have only differences.
Characteristic causes of the development of arthritis and osteoarthritis
Causes provoking arthritis:

- Unbalanced monotonous nutrition, which causes a violation of metabolic processes and immunity (poor nutrition causes the development of infectious diseases, and their agents enter synovial fluid and cause arthritis);
- Strong hypothermia of the joint (night in the tent, bathed in cold water, poor shoes and poor clothes);
- any injury (stretching, bruising or fracture);
- smoke and obesity;
- A sedentary lifestyle.
The causes of osteoarthritis:
- hereditary factor;
- Age of the elderly;
- injuries;
- Metabolic diseases.
Previously, primary (when the cause of the disease was unknown) and secondary (when the cause was known) the stage of the development of osteoarthritis.As the most advanced diagnostic methods develop, the main stage has been questioned, because in all cases, the main cause of osteoarthritis development is metabolic disorders in the form of carbohydrate and ferrous enzymes metabolism.Consequently, osteoarthritis can occur as a result of arthritis, because the dystrophy of synovial fluid is nothing more than a metabolic disorder.In dystrophic processes, the blood circulation of the joint is disturbed, which leads to a deterioration of nutrition and the destruction of cartilage.
What is the difference between arthritis arthritis
Let us see how osteoarthritis is different.Since arthritis and osteoarthritis often affect the same joints, despite this, there is still a certain diagram in the location of the pathological process:
- Arthrosis often develops on large articulations in the lower limbs (ankle, knee, hip).In addition, the pathological process develops in a single articulation.Throughout life, all these joints are experiencing very large loads, so it is not surprising that they wear out and destroy due to destructive process.Osteoarthritis rarely affects the joints of the thumbs, hands and intervertebral joints.
- With arthritis, the joints are affected by one, that is to say that the disease is characteristic of "theft".Suppose that the wrist joint was ignited in one day, the other - the elbow, on the third - the joint of the shoulder.In addition, several asymmetrical joints can be ignited immediately.
In addition to the characteristic location of the pathological process, there is a difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis in symptoms:
- With arthritis, pain occurs at night when a person is at rest.And in the morning, the patients feel characteristic stiffness in the affected joints.In order to relieve stiffness, they must develop joints.Some patients interpret these phenomena as the standard, forgetting that healthy people do not need joint development after sleep.Their joints are always mobile and functional.With osteoarthritis, such stiffness is not observed.
- In the case of osteoarthritis, everything happens the opposite.At rest, the patient is relieved, because the pain only occurs when he moves and becomes more intense with an important motor activity.Sometimes, with osteoarthritis, pain can also occur at night, but they are associated with the fact that the patient changes the position of the members affected in a dream, which causes pain.
- The appearance of the joint with arthritis and osteoarthritis also differs.With arthritis, metacarpal phalanx joints (convex bone of a compressed fist) swell and swell, reduce and become warm (increase in local temperature).With osteoarthritis, such symptoms are not observed, the joint seems absolutely normal.Of course, in the future, joint deformation can occur following the growth of osteophytes (bone growth on joints), but even in this case, there are no symptoms characteristic of arthritis.But with osteoarthritis, a crunch is observed in the affected joint, which is not with arthritis.
It should be noted the general condition of patients in these diseases.With arthritis, a person, in addition to the pain in the joint, feels weakness, a general disease: subfule temperature, chills, headaches, loss of appetite, decrease in body weight.With osteoarthritis, the problem is only in a non -functional and painful joint, and the general symptoms are not observed.
It should be noted that arthritis often leads to osteoarthritis, when the joint is destroyed and modified as a result of inflammation, and its mobility is also disturbed.However, with osteoarthritis, inflammatory processes are observed in the joints.It is not so easy to understand the diagnosis, you must discover the deep cause of the development of these ailments.Arthritis, as a rule, occurs in the context of infections that have entered the joint tissue and, in the case of osteoarthritis, joint deformation occurs due to injury, in old age.Of course, sometimes inflammation can join, but it does not always happen.
Differential diagnosis of osteoarthritis and arthritis
In order to understand what reason there were problems with the joint, it is necessary to conduct a differential diagnosis.This diagnosis includes the following clinical tests:
- General blood test.
- general analysis of urine;
- Biochemical blood test;
- rheumatic tests;
- autoimmune standards (blood test for antibodies);
- X-ray affected joints;
- examination of the synovial fluid;
- Radio-Isotopic analysis of the skeleton (in some cases);
- Tomodensitometry (CT);
- Magnetic tomography - resonance (CT or MRI).
Blood test for arthritis and osteoarthritis
For an adequate diagnosis of joint diseases, this procedure is compulsory and necessary.In the case of osteoarthritis, the clinical blood picture does not change at all, it can only slightly increase the ROE (reaction of the erythrocytes colony) to 28 to 30 mm, generally with complication-synovitis.With arthritis, the blood image changes completely: leukocytes increase to 14,000, a gap of the leukocytes formula to the left is observed, the reactive level C (CRB) and the ROE protein to 40 to 80 mm increase.
C - Jet in the blood

For differential diagnosis, a biochemical blood test must be carried out.With arthritis, there is an increase in inflammation of certain immunoglobulins, seromucoids and reactive proteins, which is not observed with osteoarthritis.The exact diagnostic factor The level of the inflammatory process in joint conditions is considered a reactive protein (CRB).Since the synovial fluid reacts with the increase in proteins to emerging inflammation, with inflammatory and autoimmune processes in the body, its level increases to 10 mg / l and more.Compared to healthy people whose reactive protein in the blood does not exceed 0.002 g / L. Thus, the increase in the level of reactive protein in blood plasma with eloquence indicates the development of arthritis.
C - The reactive protein (CRB) is a fast phase protein which is synthesized in the liver.Activates the body's immune response to the invasion of an inflammatory factor.After 24 hours, the reactive protein level in plasma increases ten times.With adequate treatment, protein decreases rapidly in normal indicators.With osteoarthritis in the patient's blood, reactive protein indicators remain normal.
X-ray affected joints
This diagnostic method is the second most effective after the clinical blood test.In this case, osteoarthritis is diagnosed with precision, as the degree of bone deformation by the width of the joint deviation can be determined on radiography.For arthritis, this method is not significant, although it is certainly prescribed as a diagnostic technique.However, this method is imperfect because the degree of damage and destruction of the cartilage fabric cannot be seen in the image.
Differences in the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis
Arthritis and osteoarthritis have different causes and development mechanisms, so their treatment is slightly different.
With arthritis, it is first necessary to identify the cause of the development of inflammation and neutralize it as soon as possible.If the occurrence of arthritis has an infectious etiology, the patient is prescribed of antibiotics.With the autoimmune origin of the disease, cytostatics and hormones are prescribed, and with goutuse arthritis, the correction of uric acid in the body is therefore necessary, therefore, the treatment is carried out by hypoweminant medications.
With osteoarthritis, the treatment aims to restore the cartilage fabric and the return of joint functions.Consequently, the treatment is carried out by chondroprotectors, hyaluronic acid, physiotherapy, treatment, massage and health physiotherapy exercises.

Since arthritis and osteoarthritis are accompanied by pronounced pain syndrome, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for internal and external use (tablets and ointments) act as pain relievers, with these ills.These drugs not only eliminate pain, but also reduce signs of inflammation.
In the treatment of these conditions, conservative treatment and surgical therapy are used.It all depends on the level and scale of joint lesions.As a rule, it is a drug treatment and prostheses.
Given that the very arthritis and chronic arthritis of the patient increases the probability of acute relapse, the therapeutic strategy should aim to prevent and prevent relapses.The following treatment is prescribed for this:
- The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).The drugs in this group effectively eliminate signs of inflammation, in particular with arthritis, but are always included in the therapeutic complex and with osteoarthritis.
- The rapid elimination of muscle spasms that occur in muscles adjacent to joint.Thus, access to drugs, nutrients and oxygen is provided.
- Normalization of metabolic reactions.This is only possible after stopping the inflammatory process.
- Evacuation of the articulation of uric acid salts (if we are talking about a violation of metabolic processes).
- Standardization of acidic alkaline metabolism.
Modern medicine has succeeded in the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis, but despite this, all cases of arthritis or osteoarthritis end in complete success.
The success of the treatment of these diseases consists in relieving the inflammation of joint and muscular spasms, in the normalization of metabolic processes and acid-alkaline balance.Following these actions, the joint begins to receive complete nutrition, oxygen and restore metabolic processes.
Traditional medicine recipes are very effective in the complex treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis.Their use in this format is approved even by official medicine.It should be noted immediately that medicinal herbs are just a auxiliary remedy in the fight against these ailments.Therefore, before making the folk remedies, you must without fail to request recommendations from the attending physician.
Eat for arthritis and osteoarthritis
All joint joints, without exception, require particular food nutrition.Since the symptoms of arthritis affect the entire organism, in some cases, its course is complicated by serious disorders in the work of the heart, kidneys and liver, and osteoarthritis can immobilize the patient, lead to invalidity and thus reduce the quality of their life, it is necessary to throw all the forces to fight against these diseases.

In the context of joint pathologies, the body should receive all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals with a certain bias.The normalization of metabolic reactions and acid-alkaline balance are paid attention to products.
General nutrition recommendations may be as follows:
- Limit the consumption of red meat (pork, beef, lamb, deer, horses);
- rejection of products containing a large amount of trans fats and fats;
- a complete rejection of alcohol;
- give preference to low fat fish and seafood;
- consume a large number of vegetables, fruits and herbs (in any form);
- Consumption of dishes based on cartilage: flood, jelly, jelly, marmalade;
- abundant alcohol consumption diet;
- Take food supplements with calcium, vitamins A, D and group V.
General prevention of arthritis and osteoarthritis
In the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis, therapeutic strategy consists in preventing and preventing relapses of arthritis and osteoarthritis.After all, the disease is easier to warn than treating.Consequently, the prevention of these diseases has the same principles:
- Avoid the hypothermia of the legs (foot joints).After all, it is this path that is the main thing in the exacerbation of chronic diseases and infection by viral infections.
- A timely relief of chronic diseases (amygdalite, sinusitis, bronchitis).
- Refusal of uncomfortable high themed shoes.Unknown shoes create an additional load on the joints, which causes their destruction, their deformation and their link, and consequently to osteoarthritis.
- The fight against excess weight.Excess weight is a signal of metabolic disorders, and arthritis almost always occurs in the context of such violations.
- Moderate physical activity.Heavy work exerts pressure and load on the joint, as a result of which they are destroyed and inflamed.
- Make sure you join a healthy lifestyle: walk often in the air, rest and eat, organize physiotherapy exercises, visit a doctor regularly.
Physical physical education for arthritis and osteoarthritis is a very important part of therapy in a compartment with massage, food therapy and physiotherapy.It provides painful joints with nutrients and oxygen, and without this, their recovery and restoration cannot occur.