Shoulder osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is a chronic disease, which is based on damage to cartilage tissue, followed by the appearance of bone growths and limited mobility. Most often, the elderly suffer, but hard physical work and inflammatory processes contribute to the early development of pathology. Without timely treatment, the movements of the affected joint are completely blocked.

General Information

Cartilage is a smooth layer between the contact areas of the bones. It ensures their easy sliding relative to each other, guaranteeing free and painless joint work. Excessive stress, inflammation or trauma can trigger a degenerative process that gradually spreads over the entire surface.

As a result, the smoothness of the joint surfaces is disturbed and the movements begin to cause pain. At the same time, bone growths begin to appear along the edges of the joint, replacing the affected cartilage. As the degenerative process progresses, it involves not only the bones, but the surrounding tissues as well. The limb deforms, the muscles contract and the ligaments weaken and lose elasticity. Without treatment, the person loses the ability to move the arm.

Views

Depending on the cause of development, primary and secondary osteoarthritis are distinguished. The primary form occurs on its own, most often against the background of excessive overload of the joint. The secondary is provoked by a third-party pathology, for example, trauma, intense inflammation, metabolic disorders, etc. Both forms of the disease are similar in symptoms.

The reasons

Unlike the knee, ankle and hip joints, the shoulder does not experience significant stress when walking, which is why this form of osteoarthritis occurs much less frequently. Pathology can be caused by:

• regular excessive physical activity: weight lifting, professional sports, vibrations;
• congenital anomalies of the structure of the shoulder joint and adjacent structures;
• rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases;
• congenital weakness of the connective tissue, accompanied by hypermobility of the joints;
• injuries: dislocations, sprains and ruptures of ligaments, intra-articular bone fractures;
• hormonal changes and interruptions (including pregnancy, menopause);
• inflammatory diseases of the joint and periarticular structures (arthritis, bursitis, etc. );
• metabolic disorders, including gout, diabetes mellitus.

An important role in the predisposition to osteoarthritis is played by heredity.

Degrees

Doctors identify 3 degrees of deforming osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint, which determine its symptoms and the choice of treatment tactics:

• Grade 1 is characterized by minimal manifestations: pain occurs only with intense or prolonged exertion and quickly passes after rest, and radiography reveals subchondral sclerosis of the articular surfaces;
• with 2nd degree arthrosis, the pain becomes much stronger, a person has to use painkillers to make them feel better; radiography shows pronounced narrowing of the joint space, large areas of cartilage destruction, as well as bone growths (osteophytes);
• Grade 3 of the disease is accompanied by intense and constant pain, joint mobility is significantly limited, and the picture shows complete destruction of cartilage tissue, deformation of bone structures and a large number of osteophytes.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of shoulder osteoarthritis include:

• pain - arises from a decrease in the smoothness of the joint surfaces, the growth of osteophytes and bone deformation; the intensity, duration and nature of the sensations depend on the degree of damage;
• crunch - one of the characteristic symptoms of the disease, which appears in the early stages; differs from physiological in a coarser shade, and is often also accompanied by pain;
• mobility limitation: associated with the appearance of pathological growths and destroyed cartilage particles inside the joint; in the early stages it is represented by a slight morning stiffness, later it develops to complete immobility (ankylosis);
• deformation - a change in the contours first only of the joint, and then of the hand, occurs in the later stages of the disease and indicates the complete destruction of cartilage and the involvement of bones, muscles and ligaments in the pathological process.

The progression of symptoms can take years or even decades, but eventually osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint leads to inability to move the arm and severe pain.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of shoulder joint osteoarthritis requires an integrated approach. To accurately determine the diagnosis and determine the extent of the lesion, the doctor uses the following methods:

• interrogate and collect anamnesis: the patient's complaints are recorded, the circumstances of the occurrence of certain symptoms are determined; without fail, information about past illnesses and injuries is clarified, the presence of joint damage in parents;
• examination: the doctor visually assesses the joint, determines the range of motion, the area of greatest pain, etc. ;
• X-ray and CT - the main diagnostic method that allows you to see the characteristic symptoms of osteoarthritis (narrowing of the joint space, cartilage degeneration, bone growth and deformity);
• Ultrasound: allows to evaluate the condition of cartilage, bones, ligaments, joint capsule and muscles;
• MRI: allows to obtain virtual slices of all the structures of the interested area;
• laboratory diagnostics - a blood test reveals an active inflammatory process, which often accompanies osteoarthritis;
• arthroscopy: examination of the joint from the inside with a camera inserted through a small puncture.

If the disease is secondary in nature, then narrow specialist examinations and consultations on the underlying pathology are mandatory.

Shoulder osteoarthritis treatment

Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint depends on the degree of injury: in stages 1 and 2, the disease can be successfully stopped or delayed by the correct selection of drugs. With extensive destruction, the only way to restore mobility and completely stop pain is a surgical operation - arthroscopy with "cleaning" the joint.

Pharmacological treatment

Medical treatment for shoulder osteoarthritis aims to reduce symptoms and restore cartilage tissue. For this, the following groups of drugs are used:

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - block inflammatory reactions and reduce pain; they are available in the form of tablets, ointments, suppositories and in injectable form;
• hormonal agents (corticosteroids) - used when NSAIDs are ineffective, they have a similar effect; a good effect is provided by long-acting drugs, injected directly into the joint cavity;
• antispasmodics, B vitamins: used to reduce muscle spasm that inevitably accompanies advanced osteoarthritis;
• chondroprotectors - designed for long-term use, aimed at restoring cartilage tissue;
• drugs that improve microcirculation: indirectly stimulate regeneration processes by improving the blood supply to the affected area;
• enzyme blockers: partially slow down the destruction of cartilage tissue.

The selection of specific drugs, their dose, frequency of administration and duration of the course is carried out only by a doctor! It is important to remember that self-medication can cause accelerated joint degeneration and other side effects.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy techniques and physiotherapy exercises greatly facilitate the course of the disease and enhance the effect of drugs. The following procedures have been shown to have a good effect:

• magnetotherapy: relieves pain, relieves inflammation, improves microcirculation and stimulates the regeneration of cartilage tissue;
• shock wave therapy - exposure to acoustic waves of a certain frequency contributes to the destruction of osteophytes, which facilitates movement in the affected joint;
• electrophoresis, phonophoresis - the introduction of drugs (painkillers, chondroprotectors) into the tissues using electrical pulses or ultrasound; promotes better absorption of drugs;
• massage and physiotherapy exercises: dosed loads on the joint and intense manual action stimulate blood circulation in the tissues.

Like medications, physiotherapy, massage and physical therapy should be prescribed and performed under the supervision of a specialist. If in a quiet period they are useful, the effect on the background of an acute inflammatory process can cause increased pain.

Surgery

The last stage of shoulder osteoarthritis is accompanied by severe symptoms and requires surgical treatment. Most of the changes that have occurred as a result of degeneration are irreversible, which is why the only way to restore a person's mobility is an endoprosthesis. The affected joint is replaced with a modern prosthesis, which fully assumes its functions. This operation is especially effective in young and middle age, as it allows you to live pain-free for years.

Prophylaxis

Like any joint disease, shoulder osteoarthritis is easier to prevent than to treat. Orthopedists recommend adhering to the following rules:

• exclude or minimize occupational risk factors (vibrations, weight lifting);
• do not allow hypodynamia, but also do not fight for sports records - it is better to choose a moderate training option;
• control nutrition and weight;
• undergo regular tests to identify any problems.

Diet

With shoulder osteoarthritis of any degree, it is important to monitor nutrition:

• avoid overeating and being overweight;
• minimize harmful products: fatty, spicy, salty, alcoholic, canned food, smoked meats;
• eat a sufficient amount of foods rich in collagen (jellied meat, jelly) and omega-3 (fatty fish, olive oils);
• give preference to boiled, steamed or stewed foods, rather than fried foods;
• reduce the amount of fast-digesting carbohydrates.

The diet should be complete and include the required amount of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Consequences and complications

Even a slight pain and crunch in the shoulder can turn into unpleasant consequences. Without treatment, osteoarthritis leads to:

• significant limitation of mobility up to ankylosis (bone fusion);
• severe pain even at rest;
• severe deformity of the shoulder and the whole arm.

To avoid these problems, it is important not to search on the Internet how to treat arthrosis of the shoulder joint with folk remedies, but simply to contact an orthopedist for the selection of therapy.

Treatment in a specialized clinic

It is impossible to cure osteoarthritis on your own. The specialists of the modern clinic offer patients complex methods of treating arthrosis of the shoulder:

• modern drug therapy regimens that combine high efficiency and a minimum of side effects;
• proven and new physiotherapy techniques;
• PRP therapy;
• physiotherapy exercises and massages to relieve the limitation of joint movements.

If necessary, medical puncture of the joint is performed with the introduction of painkillers or artificial synovial fluid that facilitates movement.

We monitor the patient during the entire treatment to keep the disease under control.

Advantages of modern clinics

Specialized blades offer their patients:

• comprehensive health screening programs;
• advanced tests for accurate diagnosis;
• consultations of narrow specialists of various profiles;
• modern treatment regimens, including not only drugs, but also physiotherapy, massage and physical therapy;
• reasonable prices for all services.

Shoulder osteoarthritis is a problem that can completely change a person's life. Do not let the disease enter an irreversible stage, come for a consultation with an orthopedist.