Our joints experience constant stress throughout our lives. As a result, the cartilage tissue wears out, the bone tissue is deformed and osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint occurs, which has become one of the most common problems among older and older people.
The development of the disease can cause complete limitation of movement and constant pain in the joints. Therefore, the treatment of osteoarthritis should begin with the first manifestations of the disease.
What is osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint?
Dystrophic changes in the cartilage and adjacent bone tissue of the shoulder joint are defined in medicine as osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint ICD-10 - M19. 91. Most often, osteoarthritis occurs in the acromioclavicular joint of the shoulder, which most often experiences constant stress and severe stress during the day.
Under the influence of injuries and various inflammatory processes, cartilage tissue is gradually damaged and weakened, becoming fragile and thin. Cracks form in the cartilage, in which salts begin to deposit, accelerating destructive processes in cartilage tissues. As a result of such salt deposits, bone tissue becomes dense and begins to deform, acromioclavicular arthrosis develops.
This process occurs slowly and is chronic, at first it is asymptomatic, but gradually the manifestations of the disease increase and over time can lead to complete immobility in the joint area.
The following factors can trigger the appearance of the pathological process:
- Injuries to the shoulder that have caused the joint to become deformed and cause inflammation.
- Insufficient blood supply to the shoulder joint, which lasts for a long time; This condition can be caused by vascular disorders.
- High and constant loads on the joints are observed among construction workers, athletes and loaders.
- Congenital joint pathologies.
- Poor nutrition and, as a result, metabolic disorders.
Important!The most common form of the disease is post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint, ICD-10 code.M19. 91.
The shoulder joint is one of the most mobile in humans, which causes quite frequent injuries to the joint. Even a small injury to a joint, repeated regularly and over a long period of time, leads to the development of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis of the right shoulder joint is more common because the majority of the population is "right-handed" and the load on the right side is always greater.
Causes and factors for the development of the disease.
Most often, osteoarthritis is diagnosed in older people and the older the person, the greater the likelihood that pathology will be detected.
Causes and prerequisites for the development of shoulder osteoarthritis:
- Injuries. Fractures, bruises and dislocations affect the bone and cartilage tissue of the shoulder joint and cause various complications: damage to the capsule, rupture of ligaments. Timely treatment prevents the development of complications and the appearance of osteoarthritis.
- Vascular pathologies. Diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis and varicose veins can affect the development of osteoarthritis. Furthermore, the risk of suffering from the disease increases in people who abuse smoking.
- Physical inactivity. Lack of physical activity, along with overeating, causes extra kilos. As a result, metabolism is disturbed, which leads to impaired blood circulation in the cartilage and periarticular tissues: osteoarthritis develops.
- Hormonal and immunological disorders.- gout, psoriasis, etc.
- Joint diseases– synovitis, chronic and acute arthritis, aseptic tissue necrosis.
- Diseases of the endocrine system and metabolic disorders.. These conditions cause the body to be deficient in vitamins and minerals necessary for joint health (such as calcium and phosphorus). This negatively affects the state of the joints and complicates the recovery processes in them.
Most often, osteoarthritis does not arise under the influence of one factor, but its development is facilitated by a combination of several causes at the same time.
Types and symptoms of shoulder osteoarthritis.
Since the development of osteoarthritis continues for a long time, at first the disease practically does not manifest itself, and only sometimes makes itself felt after severe physical overload or hypothermia.
The main symptoms of osteoarthritis:
- Shoulder pain.This is the main sign of osteoarthritis: the pain is of a different nature, usually intensifying with movement and with loading on the shoulder joint. The pain causes discomfort, which limits shoulder mobility.
- Crunchy sound when moving. Salt deposits in the shoulder joints cause a characteristic cracking (or clicking) sound in the joint when moving.
- Movement restrictions. It manifests itself depending on the stage of osteoarthritis: at the beginning of the disease there are no restrictions, during the exacerbation the patient cannot rotate or move the arm freely.
Sometimes the location of the pain can be atypical and may hurt in the arm or elbow. With palpation, it is possible to determine the main sources of pain: the lower edge of the scapula and clavicle.
Note!In the initial stage, first degree osteoarthritis does not cause any symptoms. This is due to the absence of nerve endings in the cartilage tissue, so the disease begins to manifest itself when the pathological process extends far beyond the joints..
Depending on the nature and extent of damage to bone and cartilage tissue, three stages of osteoarthritis are distinguished, which are characterized by certain symptoms.
| Symptoms | 1st stage | 2nd stage | 3rd stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pain | It occurs rarely, usually at night or in the morning, after exercise or hypothermia. | Severe pain that occurs with any movement. | The pain is constant, even at rest. |
| Movement restrictions | slightly | The amplitude of possible movements is reduced. | An acute and sometimes complete limitation of mobility. Abduction of the arm and its elevation become impossible. You have to keep your hand in a forced position, which is very painful. |
| Cracking and cracking in the shoulder joint. | A slight crunch when moving suddenly, without pain. | With each movement you hear a crunch and a clear crunch. | Constant crunchy clicks are heard with any movement. |
| Local manifestations (redness and swelling in the joint area, increased temperature at the site of the disease) | Not present | Appears during periods of exacerbation. | There is inflammation in the joint all the time. |
| Joint hardening | Not present | rarely occurs | There is hardening and deformation of the shoulder. |
| Changes in the joint visible on x-ray. | Not present | Signs of joint deformation, narrowing of the joint space and the appearance of osteophytes are visible. | Traces of joint destruction are seen. |
The first stage period can last from several months to several years. Arthrosis of the shoulder joint of the third degree is treated only with the help of surgical measures, becausethe condition threatens disability.
One of the types of pathology is deforming osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint. This condition means the destruction of articular cartilage, causing irreversible changes in the bones of the articular surfaces. In addition to the cartilaginous tissue, these changes also affect the joint capsule and the synovial membrane, which causes the destruction and deformation of the shoulder joint.
Deforming osteoarthritis is manifested by a dull, aching pain in the shoulder joint, which intensifies with changes in weather and at night. The pathology is chronic, which does not allow it to be completely cured, but it will help relieve unpleasant symptoms and stop destructive processes in tissues.
How to cure osteoarthritis in the shoulder joint.
Before treating osteoarthritis of the shoulder, a series of diagnostic measures are carried out to determine the form and stage of osteoarthritis. Among such measures, it is necessary to carry out biochemical and laboratory blood tests, which can confirm the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.
If shoulder osteoarthritis is suspected, the patient is asked to carry out a series of self-diagnostic measures:
- Place your hands between your shoulder blades in a padlock shape;
- Tie a belt at the back of your waist;
- Bend your elbow at shoulder height and comb your hair at the back of your head.
If the patient performs all these activities without difficulty, then he is not at risk of osteoarthritis. But if completing the tasks is difficult and causes pain in the clavicle and shoulder area, further investigation is required: fluoroscopy and MRI are used for a more accurate diagnosis.
Second degree osteoarthritis and the first stage of the disease are treated with conservative methods, only if there is no result can surgical measures be used.
Conservative methods of treating osteoarthritis are carried out in combination, when treatment is carried out in several directions at once:
- Drug treatment;
- Physiotherapy;
- Treatment with traditional methods;
- Therapeutic gymnastics and acupuncture;
- special diet;
- Spa treatment.
Important!An important condition for the treatment of shoulder osteoarthritis is to ensure rest of the shoulder joint (this is easier to do when osteoarthritis of the left shoulder joint is observed), and such a gentle regimen should be used even after the end of the therapy course. If the patient continues to load the shoulder girdle, the disease will progress, eventually leading to surgery.
Operative measures include endoprosthetic surgery - replacing a diseased (worn) joint with its artificial counterpart. This operation is expensive and, although it significantly improves the patient's quality of life, it has the drawback that the operation must be repeated every 10-15 years.
Pharmacotherapy
Drug treatment has several directions: pain relief, relief of inflammatory processes and direct restoration of cartilage tissue.
Medications and pills
To eliminate inflammation and pain, the following groups of drugs are used:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Analgesics and antispasmodics.
These medications can be prescribed orally or intramuscularly (in the form of injections). They relieve pain well and relieve inflammation, but they cannot be taken for a long time; The treatment is carried out in short cycles.
The destruction of cartilage tissue is treated with drugs from the group of chondroprotectors, which include the active ingredients: glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid.
Chondroprotectors are a valuable building material for cartilage tissue, but drugs have a restorative effect only in the first two stages. The first results from the use of chondroprotectors are observed only 3 months after their use, and the general course of treatment is about a year.
In the treatment of osteoarthritis, it is imperative to take dietary supplements and vitamin-mineral complexes containing substances that prevent demineralization of joint tissues.
For severe inflammatory processes, a method called "intra-articular block" is used. The essence of the technique is the introduction of hormonal drugs into the cavity of the acromion joint. These injections have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, but they have many side effects, so they cannot always be used in treatment.
Ointments
For external use, ointments that are applied to the skin in the shoulder joint are effectively used. Ointments for osteoarthritis have an anesthetic effect, contain anti-inflammatory substances and agents that increase blood circulation.
Important!Osteoarthritis ointments help relieve unpleasant symptoms, but cannot cure the disease.
The advantages of ointments over analgesics is that they have a local anesthetic effect without harm to the gastrointestinal tract. But they also have a drawback: with the intensity of the pain syndrome, they cannot always quickly relieve pain.
Physiotherapy
The main method of treating osteoarthritis in the early stages is taking medications. Physiotherapeutic procedures can improve the effect of taking medications, and also reduce the likelihood of side effects.
The following therapeutic methods are used in the treatment of osteoarthritis:
- Electrophoresis;
- Exposure to a magnetic field;
- Exposure to radiation (ultraviolet, infrared, laser);
- Ultrasound.
Physiotherapeutic activities are carried out several times a year, in courses. The type and method of treatment is selected individually for each patient, depending on the degree of the disease, the patient's age and other indications.
Home treatment
Treatment of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint at home is carried out as an adjunct to drug therapy, with the permission of the treating doctor.
Gymnastics and physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy for osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint should be carried out only in the stage of remission, during exacerbations, gymnastic exercises are contraindicated.
Physiotherapy exercises can be found on the Internet, but all must be coordinated with your doctor.
Important!You cannot select exercises for osteoarthritis on your own, no matter what authoritative sites these procedures are described on and no matter what flattering reviews accompany them. Many of them have contraindications and can cause harm instead of benefit; Therefore, before starting to exercise, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Rules for home exercises for osteoarthritis:
- Exercise therapy cannot be performed if there are decompensated diseases of the lungs and heart, there is an elevated temperature or there are diseases for which any physical activity is contraindicated.
- Exercise should not cause pain. Otherwise, they are chosen incorrectly and can lead to complications.
- In the treatment of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint, gymnastics requires regularity; must be done daily. At first, training should last no more than 5 minutes a day, gradually increasing the time up to 20 minutes.
- You should do the exercises gradually, first with quarter strength, and then gradually increasing the load. The intensity of the movements and their amplitude should be increased gradually. The older the age and the longer the duration of the sedentary lifestyle, the slower the process of increasing intensity.
- The exercises are performed in a light, semi-relaxed state, sitting or lying down.
A series of simple exercises can be performed independently every day at any convenient time: raising and lowering the shoulders, swinging the arm back and forth, and rotating the shoulders.
Massage
Massage for osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is best done immediately after physiotherapy and gymnastics. This will help improve blood circulation in the shoulder joint and promote the restoration of cartilage tissue.
Massage can only be performed if the acute pain subsides and the inflammatory process decreases.
During the procedure, not only the sore shoulder is massaged, but also the neck area on both sides, as well as the forearm area.
Diet
Dietary rules for osteoarthritis: elimination of factors that influence the development of the disease and metabolic disorders.
Basic principles of the diet:
- Limit sweet, starchy, fatty and salty foods.
- Reduce salt consumption to a minimum.
- Reduce portion sizes, but increase the number of meals (eat in small portions, but frequently).
- Replace the consumption of animal fats with dairy and vegetable fats.
- Increase the amount of dairy dishes in your diet, which are sources of calcium, as well as seafood and fish (source of collagen and phosphorus).
- Include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.
If you have osteoarthritis, you should never go hungry: the menu should be designed in such a way as to increase the supply of nutrients without harm to the body and reduce the amount of harmful foods.
ethnoscience
Doctors recommend treatment at home with folk remedies as a complement to medical therapy:
- Pork fat is mixed in equal proportions with propolis. The resulting ointment is rubbed with massage movements into the shoulder joint area.
- To relieve pain, herbal baths with decoctions of chamomile, burdock and nettle are recommended.
- A popular remedy for osteoarthritis is oats. They are brewed in boiling water, after which the decoction is used to make shoulder compresses, which are applied at night.
Home remedies do not cause side effects and have no contraindications for use.
Prevention
Preventive measures to prevent osteoarthritis involve minimizing the factors that cause the disease.
General recommendations:
- Elimination of inappropriate loads on the joint associated with sports or professional activities.
- Minimize the risk of injuries to the shoulder joint.
- Mandatory consultations with a therapist in case of injury or pain in the shoulder joint to minimize the risk of complications.
- Prevent the appearance of excess weight: monitor your diet and engage in daily physical activity (gymnastics, walking, swimming).
- In old age, use medications that promote the regeneration of cartilage and bone tissue.
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is a dangerous disease that can lead to complete immobility of the joint and disability. You should consult a doctor at the first signs of illness. Treatment of osteoarthritis should be comprehensive and include both conservative and alternative methods of therapy.