Arthritis and arthrosis

Now a few words about medical terminology. Arthritis is an inflammation of a joint. Arthrosis is a dystrophique arthropathy in which a primary pathologic process is destruction of joint cartilages followed by inflammation (not necessarily).

There are several types of large joint arthritis. They have the same symptomatology: pain in joints by walk and at rest. Joints look swollen, sometimes they get red and hot by touch. These are manifestations of the inflammation. Each type of arthritis has its own peculiarities.

Infectional arthritis affects mostly large joints. Moreover, arthritis in most cases isn´t the only manifestation of the general organism infection (there may be urogenital system disorders as well as other organs). This diagnosis is complicated not only in the self-diagnostics, but also for doctors as it requires numerous additional examinations and tests.

In the rheumatism (in spite of the widely spread mistake) the main pathologic process is not in the joints, but in the heart. Affected joints usually have secondary nature. Arthritis by the rheumatism is called "shifting": it has no strict symptoms, doesn´t last too long (several days), stops spontaneously. But the most important is that it can "shift" from one joint into the other (cubital, talocrural, knee-joint).

Rheumatoid arthritis (in spite of its name it has nothing to do with the rheumatism) has following symptoms (in addition to the above listed manifestations of the inflammation): affection of three or more petty articulations of hand which lasts over three months. Pathologic process often involves symmetric joints of both hands (for example, both first joints of a forefinger both on the right and left hands). It also involves constrained movements of the affected joints in the morning relieving gradually throughout a day. If there is a lack of treatment, by starting from one joint, arthritis gradually shifts into the others affecting more and more hand joints and making small movements impossible. It often may affect not only hand joints, but also toes joints and talocrural joints. It almost never affects large joints (knee joint, hip joint, humeral). In addition to the joint disorders, rheumatoid arthritis may cause some serious problems with the viscera (vessels, kidneys, lungs etc.). That´s why a timely treatment is essential for prevention of the disease progression.

Osteoarthrosis (malnutrition and blood supply disturbance of the joint cartilages) has the difference in pain increase by night and after physical activity. In most of cases osteoarthrosis may be connected with the joint trauma (single trauma like dislocation or constant micro traumas as for example with loaders, sportsmen, workers etc.).

In any case, if you have a joint pathology you should consult a rheumatologist as different types of arthritis require different treatments.