Shoulder arthritis is a fairly common problem faced by many patients, especially older patients.As arthropathy develops in the shoulder joint, the cartilage tissue of the humeral head and the joint cavity of the scapula attached to it are affected.Damage and weakening of cartilage tissue results in changes and deformations of bone structure.
Causes of Shoulder Arthritis
The most common causes of shoulder arthritis are increased load on the shoulder joint and previous injuries: intra-articular fractures, dislocations, bruises.Vascular disease and physical inactivity can contribute to the development of arthrosis by disrupting the normal nutrition of the joints.
Sometimes arthritis of the shoulder joint is caused by a concomitant disease: psoriasis, gout, infectious arthritis, etc.
Symptoms of shoulder joint disease
Arthritis of the shoulder joint can take a long time to develop.In the first stage, the disease usually does not manifest itself.But at some point, the initial symptoms still show up.Typically, they occur after increased load on the joints or hypothermia.
The main symptom is pain that worsens with movement of the shoulder joint.The unpleasant feeling will spread throughout the arm.It is common to hear a clicking or crunching sound when the joint moves.
Initially, pain is felt only during activity, but in the later stages of arthrosis, pain may be felt even at rest.During disease progression and in the later stages of arthrosis, patients are also unable to freely rotate and abduct their arms.The final stages of arthropathy of the shoulder joint leave the patient disabled: the joint is severely deformed and almost impossible to move.One must hold his hand in a forced position, which is the least painful for him.However, this stage rarely occurs.
Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint
Shoulder arthritis can be treated using conservative or surgical methods.
Conservative treatment includes the use of chondroprotectants, which help restore cartilage tissue and stop its destruction.During an exacerbation, take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain and inflammation.Corticosteroids are injected into the affected area to help fight severe inflammation.For arthropathy of the shoulder joint, ointments and gels are also frequently used.
Special orthotics are also used to immobilize the shoulder joint and provide gentle treatment.If the shoulder girdle continues to bear the load, the progression of early arthrosis cannot be stopped.Important aspects of treatment are physiotherapy, massage and physiotherapy.
Surgical treatment of the shoulder joint is infrequent due to the low prevalence of advanced arthropathy.It involves replacing the shoulder joint and the adjacent scapular joint with a prosthesis.