Problems of the shoulder joint are not as common as those of the hip or knee, but they exist, and among them osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint stands out, the symptoms and treatment of which have their own characteristics. In most cases, a rheumatologist will deal with these problems. In general, arthrosis of the shoulder joint has its own specific symptoms and is characterized by degenerative processes not only in the cartilage itself. Very often, the capsule, ligamentous apparatus and joint bags, of which there are many, suffer.
With everything that happens, the joint is deformed, the range of motion is limited. In addition to the fact that such a condition develops, arthrosis is accompanied by pain. The reasons for this condition can be very diverse, we will try to understand them in detail.
What makes everything possible
The inflammatory process leads to the consequences of arthrosis of the shoulder joint. It develops due to various factors, some are fought by a rheumatologist, others require the help of a traumatologist.
The most common cause of osteoarthritis is traumatic injury. This is observed in athletes as a result of microtrauma, during habitual dislocation or after a fracture. Then the osteoarthritis is post-traumatic and requires its own approach to treatment.
With the pathology of blood vessels, there is a lack of oxygen in the tissues, tissue dystrophy occurs. As a result, osteoarthritis of both the right and left shoulder joint develops. Often this condition can be observed with excessive physical exertion.
The reasons often lie in hormonal disorders or autoimmune damage to the cartilage. In the latter case, a rheumatologist deals with such arthrosis of the shoulder joint. Osteoarthritis occurs, for example, with psoriasis, gout.
It is certain that the causes can be hidden in heredity, especially if the parents suffered from this disease. Osteoarthritis can also develop in people with congenital defects of the shoulder joint.
Symptoms can also be age-related as cartilage wears away. People over 50 are at risk.
symptoms
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint develops over a long period of time and its symptoms do not give themselves away. In this regard, you need to constantly monitor the condition of the shoulder joint, and if the appearance of even minor symptoms, immediately consult a doctor.
At the beginning there is pain, which first manifests itself as arthrosis. The joint hurts especially in the morning or when the weather changes. When lifting weights, this symptom is also actively felt, often the shoulder area cannot even be touched. As the symptoms progress, osteoarthritis also occurs at rest. In addition to joint pain, symptoms may appear in the back, forearm, or elbow.
The symptoms are supplemented by movement restrictions, the main causes of which are the pain. A person usually cannot perform simple actions, such as combing or brushing their teeth.
With the scratch simulation test you can determine the presence of arthrosis.
It's also difficult to take your hand back. If medication and gymnastics are not prescribed on time, then contractures simply cannot be avoided.
Complements the symptoms of the crunch, which can occur in any degree. It arises from the growth of bone tissue, and at an early stage only the person feels it, and then it can be heard even from afar. Swelling appears, and not only the joint, but also the shoulder, forearm, the skin can become red. All this indicates the presence of an inflammatory process.
Late in the disease, lateral arm abduction becomes a problem. This happens due to growths that abundantly cover the joint area. Depending on the degree, there is a certain specificity - at each stage the disease can manifest itself in different ways.
Depending on the degree
At the first stage of the disease, pain bothers only in the morning and in the evening. It can take time for a person to get rid of "stiffness". A sharp movement is accompanied by a slight crunch, which is not the cause of pain.
At rest, with this degree of pain, there is no pain, as well as no changes on the X-ray film. Everything begins with the second degree, when the manifestations become more pronounced.
Symptoms in the second stage are complemented by a more pronounced crunch and pain. The arm can no longer be fully moved, but the mobility of the joint is retained. At this stage there is destruction and deformation of the cartilage, there are characteristic manifestations on the x-ray.
In the third degree, the process can be considered ongoing and drug treatment is already showing minimal success. In this case, only slight rocking movements are possible and stabbing pains become a constant companion. The joint area becomes severely inflamed, deformations, pain in the shoulder and forearm area are added. This is how post-traumatic arthrosis manifests itself most frequently, which can be in the area of the right or left shoulder joint.
If you do not perform special exercises, the muscles will atrophy. In this case, only surgical treatment can help. However, he rarely reaches this stage, only with constant overload.
In the fourth degree there is no need to talk about the joint as such because it simply does not exist. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis leads to this condition, especially if the injury is severe. Medications, even strong ones, are not able to manage pain. You can meet this stage in the elderly and senile people. The pain often radiates into the forearm and only adequate treatment can help.
treatment
There are special drugs that can stop the disease. The main thing is to prescribe treatment with them as early as possible, even if the arthrosis is post-traumatic.
medication
In the first place are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. There are a huge number of them, and only a doctor can choose the right one. In addition to reducing pain, the inflammatory process is also eliminated. Treatment with these drugs is carried out in courses, otherwise the effect on the cartilage can be negative.
Medications also have a negative effect on the gastric mucosa. With caution they are assigned to those who have problems with this body. Long-term use can lead to an ulcer.
local treatment
With a strong inflammatory process, drugs based on hormones are injected into the joint. The drugs have a local anti-inflammatory effect, however, this is not harmless for the joint itself, since this destroys the cartilage, so the local use of ointments, which also effectively relieve pain, is justified.
The scheme is supplemented with drugs called chondroprotectors. It will take a long time to treat the disease with these drugs, but they help restore cartilage tissue and normal functioning of the joint. The composition includes glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid. The effect lasts for a long time, even after stopping the medication.
physiotherapy and gymnastics
There are many techniques that practically do not use drugs, but achieve excellent results. With this disease, treatment is carried out with the help of:
- magnetotherapy;
- spas;
- Laser;
- Ultrasonic;
- Dirt.
In parallel, special exercises are performed to increase the range of motion in the joint. Gymnastics has many techniques that are prescribed depending on the degree and stage of the disease.
It is best to do the exercises under the supervision of an experienced doctor, who will select the optimal ones.
operation
If gymnastics and drug treatment do not help, surgery is required. A shoulder joint prosthesis can solve the problem. They completely replace everything old and worn out, the prosthesis itself is made of metal or ceramics. The lifespan of such an implant is about 15 to 25 years.
Treatment of this disease is very difficult and not always possible. Success has only an integrated approach, in which the treatment consists of drugs supplemented by gymnastics or special exercises, physiotherapy. Especially concerned about the disease in the right shoulder as that is the working hand.
It is better to treat the disease early and not take it to the extreme. If osteoarthritis is treated in the first stage, many negative consequences can be avoided. However, it is not recommended to treat this disease yourself.