What is the Difference Between Arthritis and Arthropathy: Symptoms, Treatment

Healthy hand joints and joints damaged by joint injury

Many people don’t understand the difference between arthritis and joint disease.Both conditions are common and associated with joint problems.However, symptoms of the disease, and even prevention and treatment, vary from person to person.

Arthritis and joint disease, what do they have in common?

What are arthrosis and arthritis?

Arthrosis is a joint disease caused by cartilage problems.They begin to gradually break down and break, causing excruciating pain.It occurs in acute and long-term forms.It usually occurs in the morning or after strenuous physical activity.

Arthritis is a condition of joint inflammation.The main symptoms are swelling and redness.The lining of the joint is destroyed, causing pain that is often unbearable.

Arthritis causes damage to hand joints

What is the Difference Between Arthritis and Arthropathy: General Signs

The names of these two diseases have a common root: "arthritis."If you translate that from the Greek, you get "union."Both diseases are associated with joint problems and pain.Such conditions occur with severe negative feelings and discomfort.Lesions associated with the cartilage layer limit and complicate movement.

Osteoarthritis and arthritis change the way patients live their daily lives.Activities become difficult, pain occurs, endurance levels decrease - these are the main symptoms.However, each of these diseases progresses according to its own circumstances.

It is important to get the correct diagnosis so that treatment is high quality and fast.

arthritis symptoms

Arthritis has the following characteristics:

  1. If the skin near the joint becomes red, you may have a fever.
  2. Changes in the appearance of joints.
  3. tumor.
  4. Pain when moving.
  5. An unpleasant sensation when pressing on the joint.
  6. Arthritis may be an infectious disease.Then all the symptoms corresponding to an infection appear: nervous breakdown, fever, chills.

Arthritis can affect a single or multiple joints.It occurs with acute pain, or it occurs gradually and leads to chronic disease.A dull pain will then develop.

Symptoms of arthritis in hand joints

Symptoms of Arthropathy

Arthritis is largely a chronic disease.For a long time, you may not know you have this condition because it presents as temporary pain.However, it can be done quickly or slowly.If joint disease is not detected early, the disease can lead to disability.Symptoms of joint disease:

  1. Swelling around joints.With arthropathy, a different situation occurs: the joints swell only during the acute illness.The disease occurs with severe pain.
  2. There is a crunch and crispness in the joints.The crunching sound won't particularly bother the owner in the first place, but if left untreated, it can be heard by others.Feelings of vulnerability often occur after taking a shower or swimming in cold water.
  3. Painting hurts.This is especially true when the affected joints are under stress.For example, when climbing stairs.
X-ray of knee affected by joint

Most often, arthrosis is caused by heavy loading or injury.The pain may worsen at night and last into the morning.

Who treats pathology?

Which doctor treats joint disease and arthritis?Often, people go to the doctor after experiencing unbearable pain.It is best not to wait until the critical moment and make an appointment as soon as you feel discomfort in your joints.

See an arthritis and joint disease specialist

First, you need to see your local doctor-therapist.He will prescribe additional tests or special procedures.After examination, he will make a preliminary diagnosis and refer you to the necessary doctor.There are two options here.

Orthopedic Traumatologist

The therapist will refer you to this doctor for treatment of more severe joint disease or arthritis.In most cases, he will have surgery first, followed by rehabilitation procedures.

The traumatologist studies your problem, understands your chief complaints, examines the joints, and determines the necessary treatment.

Most of the time, this is an operation.Orthopedic function correlates with the recovery phase.Special shoes or other clothing that facilitates movement must be worn.It is best to follow this to speed up the recovery process.

rheumatologist

If you are facing problems with joint disease or arthritis for the first time, your GP will recommend a referral to a rheumatologist.He will examine your joints, recommend additional tests if necessary, and make an accurate diagnosis.

In most cases, a doctor will prescribe treatment at home.Treatment should help stabilize the joint.The main task here is to prevent the disease from developing and leading to serious consequences.

Both doctors were asked to identify and recommend treatment options.Rheumatologists, however, treat milder, initial stages of the disease.An orthopedic traumatologist, on the other hand, deals with severe, complex cases.

Joint and Arthritis Treatment

There are two ways to treat these diseases:

  • medicinal;
  • Use folk remedies.

Initially, you need to consult a doctor before taking the drug.If you choose your own medicine, you will only make your body worse.

Compression of knees to treat arthritis and joint disease

Folk remedies include: compresses, herbal infusions, ointments.Here are some examples of how folk recipes can be used to help treat arthritis and joint disease:

  1. Grate half a cup of sea buckthorn.Apply the resulting paste to the painful joints with massaging movements.Cover with gauze and leave for a few hours.It is recommended to repeat this once a day for two weeks.
  2. For acute pain, rub the joint with regular star ointment.Leave for a few hours.The pain will begin to subside.
  3. For aching or severe pain, apply heat.To do this, moisten a bandage or gauze with warm water and place it on the joint.Next, wrap it with cotton wool and polyethylene to create a bathhouse effect.Must be maintained for 20 minutes.

It is worth understanding that folk remedies can only temporarily relieve pain and prevent it.In order to cure this disease, you need to consult a specialist, a doctor.

Which is worse, arthritis or arthritis?

Of course, both diseases are serious, and it's hard to say which one is more serious.However, we can consider the example of knee joint problems.For arthritis, an inflammatory process, it can help patients.

Most often, this occurs due to other infections occurring in the body.If they are healed and inflammation of the joint is eliminated, knee arthritis will no longer bother you.

Arthropathy is a completely different story.This is a separate disease caused by problems with cartilage tissue.This often cannot be accomplished without surgical intervention.What follows is another lengthy recovery process.

Therefore, we can say that arthrosis is a more serious disease.However, arthritis can cause the first disease.Neither disease should be ignored.It is best to contact an expert immediately.