Arthrosis of the shoulder joint

Shoulder arthrosis is a chronic pathology in which the articular cartilage and adjacent bone tissue degrade, wear and tear.If you treat this disease negligently and do not start treatment on time, the consequences can be quite bad, including the loss of hand motor function.

Why does shoulder arthrosis develop?

The impetus for the development of shoulder arthrosis is inflammation of the joint.It can appear for various reasons:

• Injury.Shoulder arthrosis can develop due to a previous shoulder injury, or small continuous microtrauma to the shoulder, typical of athletes.
• Vascular disease.With vascular pathology, blood circulation is usually impaired, which leads to insufficient blood supply to the joints.As a result, the articular tissue undergoes degenerative changes, that is, arthrosis develops.
• Excessive load.This is often associated with the patient's work activities (loaders, builders).
• Hormonal or autoimmune disorders.Often they affect joint tissue, have a damaging effect on it.These are diseases such as psoriasis, gout, etc.
• Ancestry.It has been proven that children of parents with arthrosis of the shoulder joint are more likely to develop joint deformities than others.This also includes people who have been born with any joint deformity.Both see the normal load placed on their hands as excessive, and therefore the process of wearing down the cartilage occurs more quickly.
• Failure in metabolic processes and the endocrine system.Because of this, salt begins to accumulate in the joints, and cartilage tissue stops receiving proper nutrition (phosphorus, calcium, etc.) and begins to deteriorate.
• Common diseases.Prerequisites for the development of arthrosis can be joint pathologies such as arthritis, bone necrosis, synovitis, etc.
• Age.The elderly (50 and older) are especially at risk, because joint tissue wears out with age, which in itself leads to the development of pathology.

Symptoms of Shoulder Arthrosis

Arthrosis is characterized by a long development, sometimes it does not show itself in any way in the early stages.Therefore, you should be very alert to the slightest manifestation of symptoms.Shoulder arthrosis is usually indicated by:

1. Pain is considered the main symptom of this disease.Pain often bothers the patient in the morning.Pain syndrome is also more likely with sudden weather changes.If you bend your painful shoulder to any load, for example, lifting something heavy, then the pain will also remind you of yourself.The patient feels pain even when feeling the shoulder.With the development of shoulder arthrosis, pain begins to occur even in a quiet position.This fact should be taken into account - with arthrosis of the shoulder joint, pain can occur not only in the affected joint, it can be localized in the arm, elbow or back.
2. Motor dysfunction.Because of the pain, it becomes difficult for the patient to cope with seemingly simple tasks on his own, for example, brushing his hair.By the way, this action is one of the test movements to diagnose arthrosis.Rotational movements and attempts to move the arm back are also difficult.If the treatment does not start on time, then gradually the shoulder joint and, thus, the arm stops moving altogether, and contractions develop.
3. Painful lack, creaking in the joints.It usually occurs because of salt deposited in diseased joints (osteophytes).At first, a weak and creaky shine appears in the diseased joint;As the disease progresses, it becomes a distinct crunching click, audible even at a great distance from the patient.
4. Swelling, general increase in temperature and redness at the site of the affected joint.These signs confirm the presence of inflammation in the diseased joint.
5. Joint stiffness.These symptoms appear when the disease progresses due to bone growth that covers the joint.

You should not delay to the clinic if you suddenly start experiencing pain in your shoulder, especially after a bruise or dislocation.Indeed, at a later stage, arthrosis can hardly be directed.Please note that some patients may have no symptoms at all.

Symptoms of shoulder arthrosis depend on the degree of the disease:

1. The first stage of shoulder arthrosis is characterized by morning and evening pain.The patient needs to "wake up" the joint before it begins to move without stiffness.A sharp movement of the shoulder or arm is accompanied by a slight, painless sound.At rest, no pain was observed.X-ray examination showed no significant changes in the joints.
2. Shoulder arthrosis in the second stage is accompanied by more intense pain and a clear crunching sound.The amplitude of possible hand movements is reduced, but the joints are still mobile.The joints have begun to collapse and deform.
3. The third degree is the severe and severe stage of the disease.Patients can only shake their hands slightly;A sharp pain tormented them constantly.The joint itself becomes very inflamed and deformed.There is also partial muscle atrophy around the shoulder joint.The joint can only be cured by surgery.Osteoarthritis rarely progresses to this stage.It only occurs in patients who do not take care of the affected joints and subject them to unbearable loads.
4. Stage Four - Absolute destruction of joint and bone fusion.Even strong painkillers do not relieve the pain syndrome.This stage mainly occurs in elderly patients.

Treatment of shoulder arthrosis

Drug treatment of shoulder arthrosis is aimed, first of all, at destroying the source of the inflammatory process and pain.Usually, your doctor will prescribe NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).First of all, they stop inflammation and relieve pain.

Often, with severe inflammation, doctors use corticosteroids.This is an anti-inflammatory drug used for joint restrictions.This procedure is an injection given into the joint itself.This method is a non-invasive treatment method, which does not damage the skin or mucous membranes.As a rule, it involves the use of ointments, gels, creams, etc.

Chondroprotectors are also prescribed for shoulder arthrosis - drugs that can restore damaged cartilage, based on hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.

In addition to drug treatment, exercise therapy, sanatorium treatment, massage and physiotherapy are also used.The latter refers to ultrasound treatment procedures, laser therapy, mud therapy, cryotherapy and magnetic therapy.Recently, the treatment of arthrosis using leeches (hirudotherapy) has become quite popular due to its effectiveness.Therapeutic gymnastics exercises, without unloading the joints, stimulate the muscles to the required level, as a result of which the joints are developed and restored.

In addition, patients are prescribed a therapeutic diet based on avoiding overly spicy and salty foods.Doctors advise eating more foods that contain collagen: Turkey, seafood, vegetables and salmon.

In cases where arthrosis of the shoulder has caused the destruction of articular cartilage, a surgical operation called endoprosthetics is performed, in which a ceramic, plastic or metal prosthesis is implanted in the place of the affected joint.

Traditional medicine also shows effectiveness in combating shoulder arthrosis.

Folk remedies are usually effective as additional pain relievers.Remember, they cannot restore shoulder joints affected by arthrosis.This requires medical treatment under the guidance of a doctor.

Compress

Boil oatmeal (30 g) in two glasses of water for about 10 minutes.Soak a piece of gauze folded in several layers with the resulting solution and use it on the sore spots for at least half an hour.

Cabbage juice compresses have proven themselves to be good pain relievers.It is usually done every night, leaving it on the sore joint until morning.

You can simply apply cabbage leaves decorated with honey to the affected joints at night.

Scrub

Apply elecampane root (50 g) with vodka (125 ml) for several weeks.The mixture should be applied to the painful joints.

Leave Angelica Roots (15 g) for half an hour, pour boiling water over it.The strained solution must be rubbed into the affected area 3-5 times a day.

Herbal bath

You can add various herbal decoctions and infusions to the bath filled with water.Knowledgeable people noted the special effects of bathing with decoctions of mustard, hay dust, mint, and burdock.Such a bath should be taken before the body is thoroughly steamed, and then, after rubbing the joints, the patient should lie down, covered with a warm blanket, so that the body retains heat longer.

Ointment

For regular Vaseline, you need to add 15 g of sweet clover, hops and St. wort.John.The resulting mixture should be applied to the joint area regularly.