Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is a fairly common problem that many patients face, especially at an older age.As a result of the development of arthrosis of the shoulder joint, the cartilage tissue of the head of the humerus and the articular cavity of the scapula that articulates with it are affected.Damage and weakness of cartilage tissue leads to changes and deformation of the bone structure.
Causes of shoulder joint arthrosis
The most common causes of shoulder joint arthrosis are increased load on the shoulder joint and previous injuries: intra-articular fractures, dislocations, bruises.The development of arthrosis can be promoted by vascular diseases and physical inactivity, which interfere with the normal nutrition of the joints.
Sometimes arthrosis of the shoulder joint develops as a result of concomitant diseases: psoriasis, gout, infectious arthritis and others.
Symptoms of shoulder arthrosis
The development of arthrosis of the shoulder joint can take a long time.In the first stage, the disease is usually not obvious.But at some point the first symptoms still appear.As a rule, it occurs after increased load on the joints or hypothermia.
The main symptom is pain that increases with movement in the shoulder joint.Unpleasant sensations can spread to the entire arm.When making movements in the joints, a clicking or pulsing sound is often heard.
At first, the pain is only felt when moving, but in the final stages of arthrosis it bothers you even at rest.During the exacerbation of the disease and in the final stages of arthrosis, the patient also cannot freely rotate and abduct the arm.The last stage of arthrosis of the shoulder joint leads to the disability of the patient: the joint is largely deformed and practically immobile.A person needs to hold his hand in a forced position, which is the least painful for him.However, this stage is rare.
Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint
Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint can be carried out using conservative or surgical methods.
Conservative treatment involves the appointment of chondroprotectors, which help restore cartilage tissue and stop its destruction.During exacerbation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to relieve pain and relieve inflammation.Corticosteroids, which are used as injections into the affected area, help combat severe inflammation.For shoulder joint arthrosis, ointments and gels are also often used.
Special orthoses are also used to immobilize the shoulder joint and soft regime.If you continue to load the shoulder girdle, the development of arthrosis in the early stages cannot be stopped.Important aspects of treatment are physical therapy, massage and physiotherapy.
Surgical treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint is rarely performed due to the low prevalence of advanced forms of arthrosis.It consists of replacing the shoulder joint and shoulder blade joint next to the prosthesis.