Arthritis and arthrosis extremely comparable, and the two conditions have numerous things in common. They both affect your bones, ligaments, and joints. They likewise share a lot of the same symptoms, including joint tightness and pain. Nevertheless, the difference between the two is necessary.
What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis is an umbrella term used to explain numerous types of arthritis that cause inflammation in the joints. In some cases, arthritis likewise can affect your skin, organs, and muscles.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one type of arthritis. RA attacks the synovial membranes that surround your joints. It causes the membrane to become irritated and swollen. Over time, RA damages the membrane, cartilage on the ends of your bones, and perhaps the bone.
What Is Arthrosis?
Arthrosis is another name for osteoarthritis (OA). OA is the most typical type of arthritis, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
Arthrosis is caused by typical wear and tear on your joints and cartilage. Cartilage is the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones and helps joints move smoothly. Eventually, the cartilage may vanish totally, and your joint might have bone-to-bone contact.
Arthrosis is most common in the joints of your hands, neck, knees, and hips. Nevertheless, it can impact any joint.
What Are the Symptoms of Arthritis?
The symptoms you’re likely to experience depend upon the type of arthritis you have. Joint pain and stiffness are the two most typical symptoms of arthritis. Though each type of arthritis has numerous special symptoms, many share comparable symptoms. That can make identifying which type of arthritis you have harder.
Other common symptoms of all types of inflammation-induced arthritis include:
- swelling in joints
- redness of skin around affected joints
- reduced variety of motion in impacted joints.
What Are the Symptoms of Arthrosis?
Some symptoms of arthrosis are really much like other types of arthritis. However, a few symptoms set arthrosis apart from other types of arthritis.
The most common symptoms of arthrosis include:
- joint pain
- joint tightness
- inflammation around impacted joints
- minimized flexibility in affected joints
- bone-to-bone grating or rubbing
- bone spurs (smidgens of extra bone growth around impacted joints).
What Are the Risk Factors for Arthritis?
According to Mayo Clinic, risk factors for arthritis include:
- Age. Numerous types of arthritis are more typical in older people.
- Gender. Women are most likely to establish RA than men are. Nevertheless, men are more likely to develop gout.
- Genes. You’re most likely to establish some types of arthritis if a relative has it.
- Weight. Additional weight causes additional pressure on your joints, so people who are obese or overweight are more likely to establish arthritis.
- Injury. Accidents and infections can harm your joints. These affected joints are most likely to develop arthritis than joints without previous damage.
What Are the Risk Factors for Arthrosis?
According to Mayo Clinic, risk factors for arthrosis include:
- Age. The older you are, the greater your risk.
- Gender. Women have a greater risk of establishing arthrosis.
- Weight. People who are obese or obese have a greater risk of joint damage since of the pressure additional weight places on joints.
- Injury. Infection or mishaps can damage your joint and increase your risk.
- Joint deformities. Unequal joints or malformed cartilage can increase your risk for arthrosis.
- Profession. A task that requires you to put continuous stress on specific joints can increase your risk.
How Are the Two Conditions Diagnosed?
To detect any type of arthritis, your doctor may carry out numerous tests. These tests might include:
- complete physical examination
- imaging tests, including X-ray or MRI
- blood tests to check for inflammation markers and infection
- a joint fluid test: the fluid around your joint might indicate exactly what type of arthritis you have
- arthroscopy: a small electronic camera is placed near the impacted joint to get a closer take a look at the damage.
What Treatments Do They Have in Common?
Treatment for arthritis, consisting of arthrosis, may involve:
- Medication. A number of medicines are used to treat each of arthritis. Arthrosis, or OA, is often treated with pain-relieving medications, such as over the counter (OTC) acetaminophen or prescription narcotics. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can treat pain and inflammation.
- Physical therapy. Managed physical motions can help people who have lost variety of motion and strengthen joints to gain back some of it.
- Joint surgery. In severe cases, joint replacement or joint combination surgery might be useful to clean, replace, or fuse damaged joints.
Extra Treatments for Arthrosis
Treatment choices for people with arthrosis, or OA, include:
- Occupational therapy. If your job or hobbies have caused your arthrosis or worsen it, a physical therapist can help you establish methods to avoid added damage.
- Orthotics. Braces, splints, or shoe inserts can help relieve stress and pressure on your harmed joints and avoid additional damage.
Coping with Arthrosis or Arthritis
If you’ve been identified with arthrosis or another type of arthritis, deal with your doctor to establish a treatment plan that’s best for you. Find out more about the condition, including what activates complications, how to treat it, and what to do to avoid it from getting worse.
Talk with your doctor about your options for medicines, physical therapy, or surgery. You can lead a regular, healthy life in spite of your arthritis if you know how to treat it correctly.
