Compared to arthrosis of the hip or knee, classic arthrosis of the shoulder joint is quite rare, but the symptoms of this disease can cause severe discomfort to the patient and therefore require comprehensive treatment.Shoulder osteoarthritis (oarthrosis) is most often diagnosed in patients over the age of fifty.Its development is associated with a deterioration in the quality of the cartilage tissue covering the articular surfaces.Cartilage plays the role of a shock absorber;This means that the individual bone components slide optimally in 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 leads to limited joint mobility.Progression of the disease leads to the formation of osteophytes - an abnormal growth of bone tissue on the edges of the shoulder joint.
Causes of the development of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint
In the vast majority of cases, osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint occurs as people age due to natural wear and tear on the joint.After all, such a body part is a quite complex structure;With regular heavy stress, the likelihood of pathological changes increases.
There are cases when arthrosis of the shoulder joint occurred in younger people.A similar situation is possible if the cartilage tissue was damaged in an accident (serious fall, traffic accident, etc.).If a person does not receive proper treatment after an injury, the cartilage will not be used properly, which can lead to osteoarthritis.
Sometimes the loss of cartilage tissue in the shoulder joint is the result of systemic diseases, for example rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
Symptoms
There are several typical symptoms of shoulder osteoarthritis.Among them:
- Pain in the shoulder, especially when starting movement;
- Morning stiffness and restricted movement after a long period of “inactivity”;
- Cracking, clicking or rubbing feeling in the shoulder joint when moving;
- limited mobility of the shoulder joint, which is progressive.
Sometimes pain due to arthrosis of the shoulder joint only occurs after long-term stress on this area.The intensity of the symptoms of the disease and their combination with each other can be different in different patients.However, pain usually remains a stable symptom of the disease.
If you ignore unpleasant symptoms, your arm will hurt even more and the disease will progress.The joint cavity narrows to a minimum and the inflammatory process begins.In such a situation, the patient is disturbed by more obvious symptoms of the disease:
- swelling of the joint;
- severe persistent pain;
- forced restriction of movement (up to complete immobility of the joint).
A prolonged course of the disease can lead to muscle loss due to refusal of usual activities.In such a situation, only surgery will help to cope with the disease.
Treatment
Unfortunately, the wear and tear of cartilage tissue is an irreversible process.If arthrosis of the shoulder joint is at an early stage of development, the symptoms are temporary and mild, conservative treatment to restore joint functions is recommended for the patient with arthrosis of the shoulder joint.Typically therapy includes:
- Restricting activity and cooling the joint until the inflammation is eliminated;
- the use of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to relieve pain and inflammation;
- Use of hormonal drugs for intra-articular administration (if the above drugs do not produce the expected effect).
After suppressing the inflammatory process, treatment of arthrosis usually includes:
- massages;
- regular gymnastics (physiotherapy);
- physiotherapeutic procedures (shock wave therapy, laser therapy, myostimulation, phonophoresis, ozone therapy, etc.).
In addition, patients with arthrosis of the shoulder joint are usually prescribed medications to stimulate the restoration of cartilage tissue.These are chondroprotective drugs.
Modern methods of conservative treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint
To treat destructive processes in the cartilage joint, doctors can use various new techniques.
Autoplasmotherapy
During this procedure, the patient is injected with their own platelet-rich plasma.It is believed that the growth factors present in platelets can stimulate the activity of fibroblasts - the production of collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin.Thanks to this process, a new intercellular matrix is built and small blood vessels grow, which in turn helps to restore metabolism, activate local immunity, improve microcirculation and normalize tissue respiration.According to doctors, autoplasma therapy allows to activate the full function of the synovial membrane of the joint, reduce the severity of pain and increase the range of motion in the joint.
Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid
The effectiveness of hyaluronic acid of non-animal origin for omarthrosis is still being studied by scientists from all over the world.In 2019, an article was published by American specialists (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA) describing the results of a preliminary study on the effectiveness of this procedure.It has been proven that hyaluronic acid can reduce pain intensity for more than six months and increase mobility of the affected joint.
When is an operation necessary?
If conservative treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint does not bring the expected success and the symptoms of the disease significantly affect the patient's quality of life, the doctor may suggest surgery to restore activity to the affected area.Today, endoprosthetics – the installation of an artificial joint (bioprosthesis) – can address this problem.This is a relatively new type of surgical intervention that allows you to completely eliminate the problem of arthrosis: restore the function of the joint and the entire upper extremity, neutralize painful sensations and preserve performance as much as possible.