Arthritis and Arthrosis: Main Differences and Symptoms

Do you experience discomfort and pain in your joints? Have you noticed stiffness and limited mobility? Millions of people face such problems associated with arthritis and arthrosis. These disorders have similar symptoms, but differ in a number of features. What are arthritis and arthrosis? How to distinguish one disease from another? What condition is more dangerous, and who treats arthritis and arthrosis? This article will help you understand the causes, symptoms, and treatment methods for these common conditions. We will also provide you with information about the best clinics worldwide where you can receive the highest level of medical care.

What is Osteoarthritis (arthritis) and Arthrosis

Many people confuse arthritis or osteoarthritis. These terms are synonyms. Arthritis is a group of diseases characterized by inflammation in one or more joints. The inflammatory process can be caused by infections, autoimmune processes, metabolic disorders, and injuries.

The most common forms of arthritis include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis. A chronic autoimmune disease that primarily affects the small joints of the hands and feet.
• Psoriatic arthritis. It develops in people suffering from psoriasis.
• Gouty arthritis. It occurs due to metabolic disorders and increased levels of uric acid in the blood.
• Juvenile arthritis. A form of arthritis that affects children.
• Traumatic arthritis. Develops after injury to joint tissues.

What is arthrosis? This is a disease in which degenerative-dystrophic changes occur in the tissues of articular cartilage. With arthrosis, the cartilage becomes thinner and rougher, causing the bones to rub against each other, leading to pain and limited movement. Arthrosis is a disorder, the primary cause of which is the wear and tear of cartilage with age. In addition, factors such as excessive physical activity, high-impact joint stress, excess weight, heredity, and injuries can provoke the development of this disease.

Simply put, arthrosis is the gradual destruction of joint cartilage, while osteoarthritis is joint inflammation. However, quite often these two conditions are interconnected, since both inflammatory and degenerative processes occur simultaneously in the joints. Moreover, these pathologies have many common symptoms.

Symptoms of Arthritis and Arthrosis

Arthritis symptoms include:

• Pain. Usually constant, worsens with movement, and is present at rest.
• Swelling develops in the area of ​​the affected joint.
• Skin redness. The skin over the inflamed joint becomes red and feels hot to the touch.
• Limited mobility. Movement in the joint becomes difficult.
• Morning stiffness. After a night’s rest, there is a feeling of stiffness in the joints, which goes away after a while.
• General weakness and fatigue.

Characteristic symptoms of arthrosis:

• Pain. Usually occurs when there is a load on the joint and goes away at rest.
• Limited mobility. Over time, movement in the joint becomes increasingly difficult.
• Joint cracking . A crunching or cracking sound may be felt during movement.
• Morning stiffness. May be present, but is usually less pronounced than in arthritis.
• Joint deformation. In later stages, the joint often becomes deformed.

The symptoms of these conditions are quite similar, but there are key differences. In arthritis, pain is constant, while in arthrosis, it occurs under strain and disappears at rest. Swelling and skin redness are common in arthritis but are rare in arthrosis, whereas joint degeneration and deformation are more characteristic of arthrosis.

In order to understand whether you have arthritis or arthrosis, make an accurate diagnosis and receive the right treatment, you should consult a doctor.

Who treats arthritis and arthrosis?

Who treats arthritis? What doctor treats arthrosis? These questions naturally arise in people who are faced with joint problems. First of all, surgeons, traumatologists, and orthopedists deal with pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Rheumatologists are the specialists who treat arthritis and arthrosis, but orthopedic doctors, rehabilitation specialists, physiotherapists and other specialists may be required to manage the condition.

MedTour will help you find the best specialists in various countries. On our website you can get information about leading doctors in Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine, as well as in Turkey, Italy, Spain, Germany, Israel, India, South Korea, and more. To get assistance, you need to contact a MedTour coordinating doctor.

How to Treat Osteoarthritis and Osteoarthrosis?

The question “how to treat osteoarthritis and osteoarthrosis” is common. Treatment of arthritis and arthrosis is a long-term process that requires a comprehensive approach and individualized therapy for each patient. In order to determine how to treat osteoarthritis and osteoarthrosis, an accurate diagnosis is needed to determine the degree of inflammation and degradation of joint structures, the stage of the disease and other features of the disorder.

The main treatment methods include:

• Drug therapy. Prescriptions may include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, and biological agents. These medicines relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and suppress the immune response if the disease has autoimmune cases.
• Physiotherapy and exercise therapy. Special exercises and procedures help strengthen muscles, improve joint mobility, and enhance blood circulation.
• Intra-articular injections. Corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid injections may be used for joint relief.
• Surgical treatment. In severe cases, when joint function is significantly impaired and persistent pain is present, joint replacement surgery may be recommended.
• Lifestyle correction. It is recommended to maintain a healthy weight, limit salt and foods that cause inflammation, and control stress levels.

In addition to traditional treatment methods, leading medical centers specializing in the treatment of inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system today offer innovative methods that allow achieving excellent results.

Innovative Treatment Methods for Arthritis and Arthrosis

In recent years, there has been significant progress in the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis. New effective methods have emerged aimed at relieving pain, restoring joint functionб and slowing the progression of the disease.

• PRP therapy or plasma lifting. This procedure involves using the patient’s own platelet-rich plasma. Platelets contain growth factors that stimulate tissue regeneration processes, making PRP therapy an effective tool in the fight against degenerative changes in joints.
• Cartilage tissue transplantation. In this case, healthy cartilage tissue is grown in a laboratory and then transplanted into the damaged joint.
• Stem cell injections. Stem cells have the ability to transform into different types of cells, including cartilage cells. When injected into a damaged joint, they activate regeneration processes, stimulating the growth of new healthy tissue. During stem cell treatment, a small amount of the patient’s adipose tissue is collected, mesenchymal stem cells are extracted and specially processed. After which the resulting medication is injected directly into the affected joint under ultrasound control. Stem cells can also be administered intravenously.

Leading orthopedic centers use a personalized approach, selecting the most suitable treatment method for each patient individually. To get more information about clinics that offer the most advanced methods, contact aMedTour medical coordinator.

Services Offered by Clinics Specializing in Arthritis and Arthrosis Treatment

Advanced orthopedic centers provide a full range of necessary medical services, including:

• Consultations with leading experts. You can get an in-person consultation at the clinic or speak with a specialist online.
• Comprehensive diagnostics – Clinics offer a full range of examinations, including MRI, CT scans, ultrasound, and laboratory tests, ensuring an accurate diagnosis.
• Treatment. By choosing leading clinics for the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis, you get the opportunity to use the most modern and effective treatment methods.
• Rehabilitation. You can undergo comprehensive rehabilitation medical procedures to restore the functionality of the diseased joint and improve the quality of life.

Patient Reviews of Arthritis and Arthrosis Treatment in the Best Clinics

Patients who have received assistance in selecting a clinic abroad and arranging treatment in orthopedic centers leave highly positive feedback regarding the quality of medical services and the effectiveness of their treatment.

The main advantages patients highlight in their reviews include:

• the latest medical equipment in the clinics;
• advanced treatment methods;
• excellent treatment results;
• Consultations with world-class orthopedic specialists;
• Patient-friendly care and high comfort levels.

A MedTour coordinating physician will help you find the best clinic and doctor based on your needs and financial capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis?

In simple terms, arthritis is an inflammation of the joint, whereas arthrosis is a degenerative-dystrophic disease. Due to the difference in developing pathological processes, the symptoms also vary. For example, with arthritis, swelling and redness of the affected joint occur, and with arthrosis, deformation of the joint often appears. However, inflammation and degenerative processes often occur simultaneously. In this case, the disease produces mixed symptoms.

What is worse, arthritis or arthrosis?

It is difficult to determine which of these disorders is more severe and dangerous. Both conditions can lead to significant joint mobility restrictions and cause severe pain. And both may require joint replacement surgery (endoprosthetics) in later stages.

Can arthritis be treated at stages 3 and 4?

Modern medicine offers effective treatment options at all stages of the disease. Early stages are managed with conservative methods, while stages 3 and 4 typically require surgical intervention. However, today, regenerative cell therapy can be used at stage 3. Stem cell injections can stimulate regenerative processes, reduce inflammation, and significantly delay the need for surgery.

What diseases are similar to arthritis?

Several conditions share similar symptoms with arthritis and arthrosis, such as:

• Gout. This is a disease that affects the joints due to the accumulation of uric acid crystals.
• Fibromyalgia. It is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain.
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This is an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain, skin rashes, fever, fatigue, and internal organ involvement.

In order to determine the correct diagnosis and receive the most effective treatment, it is important to conduct differential diagnostics and accurately determine the disorder. MedTour can help you choose a clinic for a high-quality examination.

Leading Clinics for Arthritis and Arthrosis Treatment

Thanks to the development of medical tourism, you have the opportunity to receive treatment for joints in the best orthopedic centers in the country that suits you best. We collaborate with leading clinics in different countries that use the latest surgical and regenerative techniques. If you are particularly interested in innovative methods of regenerative medicine, we can help you access the following specialized clinics:

• Biotechnology company Froseth (Lithuania). Specializes in developing and applying regenerative cell medicines. Treatment of joints is one of the leading areas of this clinic.
• Cellthera Clinic (Czech Republic). The clinic has its own patented method for extracting stem cells for therapeutic use.
• Institute of Cell Therapy (Georgia). This is a branch of a Ukrainian clinic that has international certification. It successfully uses regenerative cell therapy to treat joint disorders.
• Polyclinic Tara 70 (Serbia). This medical center successfully uses cell therapy in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

You can explore preliminary information about clinics on our website. To learn more about medical institutions, contact a MedTour coordinating physician. To do this, you need to sign up for a free consultation. Our specialist will help you find the best clinic and doctor, and will advise you on financial and organizational issues.