Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is accompanied by swelling, severe pain in the shoulder, limited range of motion. The causes and symptoms of the disease, existing treatment methods and ways to help at home will be discussed later in the article.
Is shoulder arthritis
The shoulder joint is a relatively complex and most mobile structure, giving the human body the most complete range of motion. The capsule of the shoulder joint can stretch very strongly, so that a person can lift his arm vertically and make rotational movements with it. This activity weakens the ligaments, and as a result of the sharp bending of the tendons, there is often a slight ischemia in them.
It is the lack of nutrition of the articular tissue that carries the main threat of its destruction and gives impetus to the development of pathology.
This disease, which is mainly expressed in degeneration of shoulder joint tissue, is called arthrosis of the shoulder joint or arthrosis of the shoulder. Shoulder biomechanics is built on the perfect work of all components: normal nerve conduction, good blood supply, perfect anatomical structure. Violation of any of these conditions always leads to the fact that the internal tissues begin to change shape, causing discomfort, restriction of movement, pain.
Osteoarthritis (or osteoarthritis) is, first of all, a non -inflammatory disease, but of a degenerative nature. It is associated with ischemic processes in the surrounding tissues caused by various reasons.
As a result, the nutrition of the joints is disrupted, which is why the thin and elastic layer of hyaline cartilage that covers the bone head becomes thinner. Being less elastic and thin, hyaline cartilage makes it difficult to move normally, causing the joint space to become narrow.
This phenomenon causes the body to take action, and bone growths called osteophytes form around the edges of the joints. It is an osteophyte that injures muscles and ligaments with its sharp edges, causing chronic moist inflammation.
The main danger of osteoarthritis lies in the fact that slight restriction of hand movement always leads to a decrease in range of motion.
Without moving, the shoulder begins to suffer from the accumulation of salt in the tissues surrounding the joint, and from the deterioration of the nutrition of the articular tissues. Over time, this is fraught with the formation of joint contractions - limiting the possibility of movement, or complete loss of shoulder movement and disability of the patient.
Causes of shoulder osteoarthritis
The only cause of shoulder arthrosis is deep ischemia, that is, a sudden or gradual deterioration in the blood supply to certain areas of the tissue, and a lack of joint nutrition. But this reason is due to factors that may be present in the anamnesis singly or simultaneously:
- Shoulder injuries. These can be both obvious injuries resulting from a car accident or fall, as well as hidden tears of muscles and ligaments received in the process of sports training or hard work. Any joint injury always has the ability to remind itself, because the affected area is not restored to its full size, and the flow in it is always disrupted. For years or decades, the body can successfully cope with it until the onset of aging occurs.
- Age -related changes in the body.
- Infectious attacks that cause arthritis.
- Metabolic and hormonal disorders, are also often associated with age.
- Hereditary or genetic predisposition.
Stages and symptoms of arthrosis of the shoulder joint
The disease in its development goes through several stages. Because osteoarthritis is a relatively slow -growing chronic disease, the first stage, in which it is possible to deal with joint deformities most effectively, is ignored by most patients.
- First degree symptoms. For the first time, patients may experience slight discomfort when moving the hand with thinning of the hyaline cartilage. A sharp swing or jerk is not accompanied by pain, this is due to the fact that there are no nerve endings in the cartilage, and its destruction does not cause pain. But sometimes in the evening or at the end of a workout, the pain in the shoulder starts to bother. Often they do not pay attention to this, associating it with muscle pain or neuralgia. And the disease begins, and almost without symptoms, and if immediate measures are not taken, then it enters the second stage.
- Second degree symptoms. If the patient feels pain when moving his hand, accompanied by a clearly audible click, then this means that osteophytes have formed in the joint. From now on, the shoulder is constantly injured by the sharp edges of bone growth, which causes inflammation of the surrounding tissues. This is expressed by morning stiffness, which disappears only after joint development, or by pain with regular physical exercise or afternoon fatigue.
A person’s well -being worsens, as the focus of chronic inflammation in the body affects the general condition. At night, in wet weather, out of season, joints may ache more severely.
The patient abruptly limits the volume and amplitude of arm movements, should not raise them more than ninety degrees, both in the anterior and lateral planes. This leads to muscle atrophy and significant deterioration in articular tissue nutrition.
- Third degree symptoms. Usually, if a patient comes to the doctor in the third stage of the disease, then he is practically unable to move his hands. The hands are not raised, not pulled to the side, the joints are swollen and enlarged. Muscle atrophy, and pain syndrome are so severe that when you try to lift your hands, trembling appears in your fingers. In most cases, the presence of a contracture at the shoulder joint, "frozen shoulder" syndrome, is noted.
Ways to treat shoulder arthrosis
In fact, it is impossible to cure arthrosis, and moreover, it is impossible to do it at home. The disease is highly dependent on many internal and external factors that are almost never the cause.
But the good news for patients in the first and second stages of the disease is that the development of osteoarthritis can be stopped. That is why doctors insist on early diagnosis of the disease and the beginning of treatment for shoulder arthrosis, when the articular tissue is only partially destroyed, there are no osteophytes, and you can try to restore normal nutrition to the joints.
Conservative therapy
Treatment of arthrosis always has two goals: the elimination of pain and, if possible, the restoration of the joint’s supply with the materials needed for normal operation.
- The intake of nutrients in the tissues depends on what the patient eats. The diet for osteoarthritis should exclude salt and alcohol. Meat and vegetable products that contain purine bases, which increase the content of uric acid in the body, are also undesirable. Dairy dishes and steamed vegetables are recommended.
- Extensions of medical preparations containing glucosamine and chondroitin, as well as collagen, which nourish joint tissue. And daily consumption of regular gelatin in the form of jelly helps enrich the menu with animal collagen.
- Local application of various warming, anti-inflammatory and chondroitin-containing ointments and balms activates the blood circulation of tissues around the joints.
- If the pain syndrome is mild, then the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is not recommended. If hand movements are accompanied by severe pain, then NSAIDs can anesthetize and reduce inflammation. These medications can help relieve pain.
- If the shoulder is swollen, and the inflammatory process begins in it, then a compress of the ointment, prescribed at night, or rubbed with a gel has a very good effect.
- Therapeutic gymnastics is an indispensable component in the successful treatment of shoulder arthrosis. But it is not recommended to overload the joints, because improperly distributed effort can lead to rapid destruction of hyaline cartilage.
Therapeutic training for shoulder arthrosis and rules for its implementation
Special exercises will help develop the joints, provide mobility. Gymnastics can be done independently at home. The main rules for training should be:
- regularity, that is, having to do exercises every day for at least 15 minutes;
- do the exercise smoothly and without much effort. This is necessary so as not to further damage the articular structure;
- gain moral pleasure during physical activity, which will contribute to the normalization of the patient's emotional state.
Exercise therapy exercises are recommended, where hand movements do not cause pain. They are done slowly, forcing the ligaments and muscles to warm up and stretch gradually.
- We offer the most simple and useful exercises for arthrosis of the shoulder joint:
- Sit in a chair, place your hands on your knees. Perform circular movements with your shoulders: 5 times forward, then 5 times backward.
- Lift the straightened arms upwards, pull the shoulders and shoulder blades back as high as possible. Hold for a while, then lower. Repeat 5-7 times.
- Straight arms with palms down stretched. Bend your wrists at the wrists, fingers should look up. Perform circular movements with your shoulders: 5 times forward, then 5 times backward.
- Lift your bent arm above your head, while one finger should be on the opposite elbow. Slowly move your arms backwards until you feel a stretch in the shoulder joint. Do the exercise 5-7 times.
- Place the palms of both hands behind the head with the backs of the hands facing down. Move your hands so that the palms fall along the back to the area between the shoulder blades. Repeat the exercise 5-7 times.
- Place the left hand on the right elbow, move the right hand as far as possible over the left shoulder until you feel a stretch on the shoulder joint. Do the exercise 5-7 times. Switch hands, and repeat the exercise for the other hand.
In the treatment of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint, the following are recognized as effective: manual therapy, physiotherapy and spa treatments. The use of traditional medical methods is also considered desirable.
Treatment and assistance of the people at home
The main folk remedy for the treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint is herbal medicine, which allows the use of dried herbs and herbal decoctions for compresses, preparation of ointments and rubs at home to normalize metabolism and restore joint nutrition to reduce pain. .
- ointment. Take 10 grams of dried hop leaves, sweet clover, St. John's wort. Thoroughly chop the herbs and grind together, add the vaseline and mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Apply the finished ointment to the shoulder area. This will help reduce pain and inflammation in the joints.
- Rubbing. Pour five parts vodka or alcohol with one part crushed marsh rosemary flowers. Then you need to insist the drug in a warm dark place for 24 hours. Stained is applied externally to rub the affected joints.
- boiled water. Corn stigma (2 tablespoons) pour two glasses of water, boil for 10 minutes, strain and drink one tablespoon four times a day.
- Compressing. To compress, you need to mix 30 grams of dried oatmeal in two glasses of water. Apply the prepared mass to the sore shoulder for 30 minutes.
Alternative treatments for shoulder osteoarthritis
- Manual techniques - massage, manual therapy sessions, osteopathy - allow you to remove muscle blocks, tension and cramps, release blood vessels and nerves leading to the joints.
- Physiotherapy, in particular, shock wave therapy, balneotherapy, mud therapy and other methods are not recommended during exacerbations, that is, when active inflammatory processes occur in the joints.
- Forgiveness is the best reason for a course of spa treatment, after which there is a lasting improvement.
Surgical treatment of shoulder osteoarthritis
With an obvious pain syndrome that prevents the patient from leading a normal life, the doctor may recommend surgery.
Often, prosthetics are performed, that is, the destroyed joint is replaced with an endoprosthesis. If possible, then partial arthroplasty is performed, replacing only part of the shoulder joint.
Surgery is performed in rare cases, as any surgical intervention, especially that associated with the installation of an intra-articular prosthesis, can lead to complications and a long recovery period.
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is a dangerous and dangerous disease in which a person’s motor activity is impaired and a relatively strong pain syndrome is observed.
It is important to treat the disease in a timely manner at the first minor symptom, preventing further joint destruction.
Patients must remember that the success of osteoarthritis treatment depends more on effort, activity, and not on medications.