Arthritis and arthrosis are similar words for joint diseases. However, these diseases are different, so it is wrong to treat them the same way. What are the signs of ailments, and how to treat these two diseases to get patients on their feet? Arthritis is an inflammatory disease. It is sometimes associated with a previous infection, such as cystitis or intestinal infection. Often the cause is a malfunction of the immune system, which begins to attack its own joints. In this case, the disease is called rheumatoid arthritis. A lot of people in the world have such a diagnosis, and most of them are women: they are more likely to suffer from this disease due to the peculiarities of the hormonal system. Arthrosis of the joints occurs most often. It would be more accurate to call it osteoarthritis, since this disease affects not only cartilage tissue, but also bone. The main difference between arthrosis and arthritis is that this disease is based on degenerative processes in the joint, and not on inflammation. These degenerative processes lead to wear and deformation of the joint capsule, which prevents the joints from moving freely. Basically, the diagnosis of "arthrosis" is given to the elderly, but professional athletes are at risk: due to high loads, the cartilage that covers the surface of the joint can become thinner and even crack.