Symptoms and treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint

Deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint is a common symptom, especially in older patients. The disease is chronic and develops rapidly. It is diagnosed equally often in patients of both sexes. Due to degenerative disorders, damage can be observed not only in the cartilage tissue of the joint, but also in the bone tissue. The causes of the problem are microtrauma injuries to the shoulder joint and the inflammatory processes that develop in it. The cartilage tissue gradually thins, microcracks appear on it, in which salt deposits accumulate. Then destructive processes gradually affect the bones, which become denser, grow, and ultimately change their anatomical shape. The disease develops for a long time without causing discomfort in the initial stages of the disease. In fact, this is where its danger lies. Let's take a closer look at the causes, symptoms, and how and with what to treat deforming arthrosis.

Why does pathology occur?

Among the causes of arthrosis of the shoulder joint, experts name the following conditions and factors.

Traumatic injuries

Shoulder injuries include intra-articular fractures, dislocations and contusions. Fractures are characterized by the fact that the fracture line is located in the articulation cavity. In addition to the bone, it also affects the cartilage, causing further damage: ligaments are torn, the capsule is damaged.

Dislocation of the shoulder is one of the most common injuries, which often leads to complications, joint deformation and the development of arthrosis. As a result, the joint can completely lose mobility.

Dislocation of the right shoulder is more often observed in right-handed people, and left in left-handed people.

Bruises occur as a result of a strong impact, such as from an accident, fall or sports. Due to the bruise, the bones do not move, the cartilage tissue is not destroyed, but its normal nutrition is disturbed, which can also lead to post-traumatic arthrosis.

Increased load

Excessive loading of the shoulder joint is observed in some groups of people:

• Professional athletes: volleyball players, tennis players, athletes.
• Builders, plasterers, loaders.
• Dachnikov.

They all have to do the same movement with their hands raised for a long time. Because of this, they experience microcracks and injuries, ligaments are sprained, muscles are overstretched, blood vessels are disturbed. The joint lacks nutrients and becomes deformed.

If a person does not monitor the load and does not take preventive measures, glenohumeral arthrosis may occur.

Joint pathologies

Certain joint pathologies can cause the development of deforming arthrosis.

• Synovitis. This is due to an infection that causes intense intra-articular fluid formation. Due to the accumulation of fluid, the joint becomes swollen and painful. Most often, this problem is observed in connection with a shoulder injury. If synovitis is not treated, the likelihood of complications is high. The disease is treated with therapeutic agents. Pain is relieved by NSAIDs. In addition, the patient is punctured to pump out fluid that has accumulated in the joint. Then the shoulder is fixed in a standing position. Infectious synovitis is treated with antibiotics. In the most difficult situations, surgical treatment is performed.
• Arthritis of the shoulder joint of various origins. Symptoms: shoulder swelling and severe joint pain.
• Bone necrosis also causes arthrosis of the shoulder joint. Triggered by injury or genetics, it is characterized by bone cells starting to die. Medicine offers therapeutic or surgical correction of the condition depending on the stage of the disease and the individual characteristics of the body. Chondroprotectors restore bone tissue, and NSAIDs help to cope with pain. The use of medicines is complemented by physiotherapy, massage and movement therapy.

Heredity, congenital, acquired pathologies

Various anomalies of the shoulder structure (congenital or acquired) almost always deform it. The consequence of muscular dystrophy is insufficient nutrition of the joint tissues, followed by arthrosis of the shoulder joint.

If someone has a collagen deficiency, this also provokes the development of pathology.

The probability of developing a shoulder joint is much higher in people whose relatives suffer from similar problems, including coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis, because the underdevelopment of cartilage tissue is inherited.

Vascular diseases

The condition under which the probability of arthrosis of the shoulder joint increases can be considered as various disorders of blood vessels.

• Physical inactivity significantly increases the possibility of the development of pathology. This is due to insufficient physical activity. The disease is characterized by apathy, drowsiness, decreased appetite and insomnia. One of the most common complications of physical inactivity is cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis. The disease is treated conservatively, diet and exercise must be followed.
• Endarteritis obliterans. The pathology occurs due to impaired blood circulation, which results in a lack of oxygen supply to the tissues of the vessel. Thus, their performance is limited and then they die out.
• Poor nutrition and insufficient physical activity are the conditions for obesity and impaired metabolism, which leads to difficulty in blood circulation in joint tissues. The result of the process is the development of arthrosis.
• Varicose veins, where blood flow slows down in the veins, is also one of the conditions that causes degenerative changes in the joints.

Hormonal imbalance and weakened immunity

Hormonal disorders and reduced immunity can become factors that cause destructive tendencies in joint tissues.

• The changes occurring in the female body as a result of menopause are characterized by metabolic disturbances. The lack of calcium in the bones during this period is the result of a decrease in the level of estrogen in the female body. The consequence of these processes is possible arthrosis of the joints.
• Psoriasis is a chronic, non-infectious disease caused by various causes (stress, reduced immunity, impaired metabolism, etc. ). The disease is systemic, therefore, under certain conditions, not only the skin, but also the internal organs, bones and joints can be affected.
• Men often suffer from arthrosis caused by gout. This occurs due to excessive accumulation of uric acid in the form of small crystals in the joints. Signs of pathology include joint swelling and pain. Their external manifestation can be seen during paroxysmal exacerbation of gout. Most often this happens at night. The shoulder becomes hot and the skin reddens. In an advanced situation, gout can become a provoking factor in the development of pathology. In order to avoid complications, gout must be treated with medication, not forgetting diet and exercise.
• Due to the exacerbation of inflammatory processes in the joint cavities, reduced immunity can be the cause of arthrosis.

Impaired metabolism

The lack of entry of various vitamins and microelements (especially calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D) into the body often causes a lack of nutrition of the joint intra-articular fluid, cartilage and bone tissue, which in turn is degenerative. dystrophic changes in them.

Due to diabetes, blood vessels become thin, blood flow decreases, and the periarticular tissues do not receive enough nutrients. All this leads to arthrosis.

Age-related changes

As we age, bones and cartilage become thinner and weaker. The probability of developing shoulder joint arthrosis increases sharply after the age of 50.

Most often, arthrosis of the shoulder joint is observed due to exposure to the complex of the listed conditions.

Symptoms

Deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint is characterized as a disease that develops gradually over a long period of time. In the beginning, it shows practically nothing, however, in the later stages of development, the following symptoms can be observed.

1. Shoulder pain. Most often, its painful, twitching nature bothers a person in the morning, after a night's rest. It can happen before the weather changes. If physical activity is required on the affected shoulder, the pain becomes intense and pronounced. As the situation worsens, the pain syndrome manifests itself even at rest. Wearing an orthosis helps to solve this problem.
2. Impairment of motor activity of the affected arm occurs due to severe pain. Exacerbation is often due to hypothermia or sprained ligaments. The patient cannot raise his arm or perform normal movements. Excruciating pain when making circular motions in the shoulder or trying to move the arm behind the back. If therapy is not started in time, complete immobilization of the upper limbs may occur.
3. The crackling and creaking of the joint is not very noticeable at first and is barely noticeable. Later they become intense and can be heard not only by the patient but also by the people around him.
4. Arthritis is manifested in the form of edema, swelling, local skin temperature increase and skin redness.
5. The feeling of hardening of the joint is caused by the growth of bone tissue - osteophytes - which manifests itself when the disease has progressed.

The development of the disease

The disease goes through three stages of development. The symptoms are similar in all stages, but they differ significantly in their intensity.

Arthrosis 1st degree

1st degree arthrosis of the shoulder joint is characterized by mild pain in the morning and evening. The patient "develops" the joint with effort before performing the movements. A slight crunch of the shoulder is possible if someone jerks the hand sharply. Pain is not felt at rest.

Second degree

Arthrosis of the 2nd degree of the shoulder joint manifests itself with stronger pain, a cracking sound in the shoulder can be clearly heard. The mobility of the hand is still preserved, but it has already noticeably decreased. The destructive process is already present, the tissues of the joint gradually thin, and dystrophy is observed. Ligaments, cartilage and bones are affected. Wearing a special orthopedic device - orthosis or bandage - helps to reduce the intensity of pain.

Arthrosis 3 degrees

The third degree of the disease is the most serious. The symptoms of arthrosis significantly change a person's quality of life. The patient can only slightly turn his arm, he constantly feels acute pain in his shoulder, and deformation of the joint is observed. Muscles partially atrophy. The problem is solved with surgery. Without this, complete immobility and disability are likely.

Treatment

It is completely impossible to cure arthrosis deformans. It can only slow down its progression and affect the symptoms. Doctors offer two types of treatment for deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint: therapeutic and surgical.

Therapeutic treatment

As a therapeutic correction of the patient's condition, doctors recommend the use of the following drug groups.

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. At this stage of treatment, the main goal is to relieve inflammation and pain. Medicines suppress inflammatory processes and relieve pain. It is important to note that NSAIDs are used for a limited time. They are also prescribed in the form of tablets and injections.
• Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint involves the use of corticosteroids. They help reduce inflammation, thereby stopping the development of pathology.
• Chondroprotectors for arthrosis are prescribed in the non-acute phase to restore damaged cartilage and bone tissue. These drugs are based on different active ingredients: glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid. They help stop the destruction of cartilage tissue and restore it. But the effectiveness of the use of chondroprotectors can be expected only in the initial stages of the disease, because the main condition is necessary for their operation - the cartilage tissue must remain in the affected joint. Otherwise, these drugs will not help. All these medicines are prescribed by a doctor. You can expect positive results after six months of use at the earliest.
• External agents (ointments, gels, creams) are also widely used in the treatment of arthrosis.
• Pain relievers also relieve pain and are used inconsistently.

Surgery

The operation is performed at the third stage of development of the pathology. It consists of prosthetic replacement of the shoulder and scapula. Surgical treatment has contraindications, most often the advanced age of the patient.

The decision to treat arthrosis of the shoulder joint is made by an orthopedist or traumatologist.

Other methods of conservative treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint include exercise therapy, massage and traditional medicine. The prerequisite of these methods is that they cannot be used during an exacerbation period.

With arthrosis of the shoulder, physical therapy can significantly alleviate the patient's condition. Among the exercises, you should choose simple movements (circular movements, lifting, bending and extending the arm). Gymnastics is performed at a relaxed pace, without overloading.

Self-treatment

You can use folk recipes for home treatment. But their use must be discussed with the attending physician.

• Rubbing the painful joint helps a lot with arthrosis. The ointment is made from 50 g of elecampane root and 125 ml of vodka. Leave the tincture in a dark place for two weeks, then rub your shoulders before going to bed.
• Oatmeal compresses are easy to make yourself. Take 30 g of flakes for half a liter of water and boil for 8-10 minutes. Moisten the decoction with gauze folded several times, then apply it to the affected joint for half an hour.

• You can use cabbage leaves as a poultice (at night). They handle pain well.
• Herbal baths are recommended for the treatment of arthrosis deformans. Mustard, mint and burdock are used to make them.

Arthrosis of the shoulder joint, like any other joint disease, cannot be ignored. Your treatment must be approached comprehensively, follow the doctor's instructions: take your medications disciplinedly, perform a complex exercise therapy. In order to prevent arthrosis, do not overload the joints, avoid overheating and pay attention to your diet.