Compared to hip or knee osteoarthritis, classic arthritis in the shoulder joint is quite rare, but the symptoms of this disease can cause severe discomfort for the patient, so it requires comprehensive treatment.Shoulder arthritis (oarthrosis) is often diagnosed in patients over fifty years of age.Its development is associated with a deterioration in the quality of the cartilage tissue covering the joint surface.Cartilage acts as a shock absorber;whereby the individual bony components slide optimally within the shoulder joint.As the cartilage thins and its integrity is compromised, the bones in the joint begin to come into contact with each other.This is a painful process that results in limited joint mobility.Progression of the disease causes the formation of bone spurs - abnormal growths of bone tissue at the edge of the shoulder joint.
Causes of development of shoulder osteoarthritis
In most cases, shoulder arthritis develops with age due to natural wear and tear of the joint.After all, such a body part has a rather complex structure;if it is regularly subjected to severe stress, the likelihood of pathological changes increases.
There are cases of shoulder osteoarthritis occurring in young people.A similar situation can occur if cartilage tissue is damaged by an accident (severe fall, traffic accident, etc.).If a person does not receive proper treatment after an injury, the cartilage will not be used properly and this can lead to arthritis.
Sometimes the loss of cartilage tissue in the shoulder joint is the result of systemic diseases, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
Symptom
There are some typical symptoms of shoulder arthritis.Among them:
- pain in the shoulder, especially at the beginning of movement;
- morning stiffness, as well as limitation of movement after prolonged "inactivity";
- cracking, clicking or rubbing feeling in the shoulder joint when moving;
- The mobility of the shoulder joint is limited and progresses gradually.
Sometimes pain from shoulder osteoarthritis occurs only after the area has been subjected to prolonged stress.The intensity of the symptoms of the disease, as well as their combination with each other, may vary in different patients.However, pain, as a rule, remains a stable symptom of the disease.
If you ignore these unpleasant symptoms, your arm will hurt more and the disease will progress more severely.The joint cavity will narrow to a minimum and the inflammatory process will begin.In such a situation, the patient will be bothered by more obvious disease symptoms:
- joint swelling;
- constant severe pain;
- forced to limit movement (until the joint is completely immobilized).
Prolonged illness can lead to muscle atrophy due to refusal of usual activities.In such a situation, only surgery will help to cope with this disease.
Treatment
Unfortunately, the wear and tear of cartilage tissue is an irreversible process.If shoulder osteoarthritis is in the early stages of development, symptoms are transient and mild, then conservative treatment is recommended to restore joint functions for patients with shoulder osteoarthritis.Typically, therapy includes:
- Limit activity and cool the joint until inflammation is gone;
- the use of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce pain and inflammation;
- Use hormonal drugs to inject into the joint (if the above drugs do not bring the expected effect).
After suppressing the inflammatory process, treatment of joint disease usually includes:
- massage;
- regular exercise (physical therapy);
- physiotherapeutic procedures (shock wave therapy, laser therapy, muscle stimulation, phonology, ozone therapy, etc.).
In addition, patients with shoulder osteoarthritis are often prescribed medication to stimulate cartilage tissue recovery.These are cartilage-protecting drugs.
Modern methods of preserving the shoulder joint
To treat destructive processes in cartilaginous joints, doctors can use several new techniques.
Auto therapy
With this intervention, the patient is injected with his or her own platelet-rich plasma.It is believed that the growth factors contained in platelets are able to stimulate the activity of fibroblasts - the production of collagen, hyaluronic acid and elasticity.Thanks to this process, a new intracellular matrix is built and small blood vessels grow, which in turn helps restore metabolism, activate local immunity, improve microcirculation and normalize tissue respiration.According to doctors, autoplasma therapy can begin the full functioning of the synovial membrane of the joint, reduce the severity of pain and increase the range of motion in the joint.
Intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid
The effectiveness of hyaluronic acid of non-animal origin on omarthrosis is still being studied by world scientists.In 2019, an article was published by American experts (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA), which described preliminary research results on the effectiveness of this procedure.It has been shown that hyaluronic acid can reduce the severity of pain for over six months and increase the range of motion of the affected joint.
When is surgery needed?
If conservative treatment of the shoulder joint does not produce the expected results and the symptoms of the disease significantly affect the patient's quality of life, doctors may recommend surgery to restore function of the affected area.Today, arthroscopy—the installation of artificial joints (biological prostheses)—can solve this problem.This is a relatively new type of surgical intervention that allows you to completely eliminate the problem of arthritis: restore the function of the joints and the entire upper limb, neutralize painful sensations and maintain the best possible performance.