Does pain, stiffness, or swelling in your joints get in the way of your daily life? Chalky joints, or osteoarthritis, may be the problem. Do osteoarthritis and chondrosis mean the same thing? Most people call chondrosis osteoarthritis because it affects the cartilage in the joints. But they are not the same. Osteoarthritis affects the joint and the parts around it, while chondrosis affects the cartilage in the joint.
What is Chondrosis?
Chondrosis, or chondromalacia, refers to the degeneration or softening of smooth cartilage, predominantly located on the posterior aspect of the patella. You can hurt your kneecap cartilage when you kneel, go down stairs, or sit for long periods of time.
Types of Chondrosis
Osteoarthritis can happen in any joint, but these are the most common ones.
- Knees: Runners and people who are overweight can damage their knees. The kneecap wears away, and it is called patellofemoral (PF) chondrosis. That’s what you call chondromalacia patellae or “runner’s knee.”
- Hands: Bone spurs in the fingers can hurt and swell up. A lot of people have pain in their thumb bases. The breakdown of hand cartilage makes it harder to write, tie shoelaces, hold cooking tools, button clothes, and type.
- The hips are made up of a weight-bearing ball-and-socket joint. The cartilage lining the inside of the joint makes it easy to move. When cartilage wears away, bone spurs form because of the friction between the bones. Chondrosis in the hip makes it painful and stiff to walk.
- Neck: Cervical spondylosis refers to osteoarthritis affecting the cervical region of the spine. The padding of cartilage between the spine’s vertebrae keeps the bones from touching. When this breaks down, pain and inflammation can make it hard to sleep and do other daily things.
- Low Back: Back pain usually goes away in a week. Osteoarthritis is one reason why people have back pain that won’t go away. As the cartilage in the spine wears away, bone spurs can “pinch” nerves in the lower back. Talk to your doctor to make sure nothing else is wrong.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent form of arthritis. It is also referred to as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis by certain physicians. The degradation of cartilage in your joints causes your bones to articulate directly with one another during movement.
Signs of Osteoarthritis
- Joint pain (especially when moving) is one of the most common signs of osteoarthritis.
- Being stiff.
- Swelling in the joints.
- Less mobility in the joints.
- A joint that feels weak or unstable.
- A skewed joint.
Why do People get Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is not known to have a cause. As people get older, primary osteoarthritis slowly gets worse. As you get older, normal wear and tear on your joints may break down cartilage.
- Osteoarthritis can be caused by damage to the joints, like an injury in sports.
- Falls.
- Accidents with cars.
- Disorders of the joints, such as Ehlers-Danlos, or joints that move too easily.
- Besides osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis can also cause it.
- Gout.
- Joint pain from psoriasis
How to Treat Osteoarthritis and Chondrosis?
Chondrosis and osteoarthritis can’t be cured. There are, however, ways to make things better.
- Changes in Lifestyle: Obesity can make osteoarthritic joints less stressed. For joint health, do aerobics with low impact.
- Medicines: Over-the-counter pain relievers can help with the early stages of osteoarthritis and chondrosis.
- Physiotherapy: Osteoarthritis: Build up the muscles around your joints.
- Chondrosis: To protect cartilage, do yoga, Tai Chi, and balanced training.
- Injections: Corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid injections are what pain physicians in Dallas recommend when joints are badly damaged. Injections that lubricate the joints ease pain and make them more mobile.
Surgery
Chondrosis can cause severe pain or problems with mobility that can’t be fixed without surgery. It’s bad for your health to not work out, sleep well, or take a lot of painkillers.
When the risks of your condition and treatment plan are greater than the benefits, surgery may be the best option. Talk to pain management in Dallas about the procedure that is suggested for your condition. Arthroscopic surgery may be needed to remove swollen tissue and stabilize or replace cartilage. It takes time and rehab to get better after joint surgery. If you are in good health before surgery, you have a better chance of recovering well.
Who Takes a Chance?
Knee chondrosis can happen if you do certain kinds of exercise or are overweight. For every pound of weight in the upper body, four pounds are put on the knee. Strength and endurance People who run long distances have joint pain. Because basketball and tennis move quickly and a lot, they are hard on the knees.
There is a lot of osteoarthritis in people over 50. Age is the main reason why cartilage breaks down over time. Genetics play a role, especially when there is inflammation. Chondrosis is more likely to happen in people with hip dysplasia, a condition that makes hip sockets less deep. Too much use of a joint over a long period of time can wear down cartilage. Damage to the cartilage may not be seen until osteoarthritis sets in after an injury or surgery.
Last Words
Is chondrosis the same as osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis and chondrosis have different effects on cartilage in the joints. Chondrosis is an abnormal growth of cartilage, and osteoarthritis is the breakdown of cartilage in the joints. If you’re not sure about either, read the article. See a rheumatologist if you want to get better treatment for any of these conditions.
