Compared to arthrosis of the hip or knee joint, classic arthrosis of the shoulder joint is quite rare, but the symptoms of this disease can cause serious discomfort to the patient, so it requires comprehensive treatment.Shoulder joint (oarthrosis) is most often diagnosed in patients over fifty years of age.Its formation is associated with the deterioration of the quality of the cartilage covering the surfaces of the joints.Cartilage acts as a shock absorber;due to this, the individual bone elements slide optimally within the shoulder joint.When the cartilage thins and its integrity is damaged, the bones in the joint begin to rub against each other.This is a painful process that leads to limited joint mobility.The progression of the disease causes the formation of osteophytes - abnormal growth of bone tissue at the edges of the shoulder joint.
Causes of shoulder joint arthrosis
In the vast majority of cases, arthrosis of the shoulder joint develops due to natural wear and tear of the joint with advancing age.After all, such a body part is quite a complex structure;if you are regularly exposed to severe 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 (bad fall, traffic accident, etc.).If a person does not receive proper treatment after an injury, the cartilage does not function properly and this can lead to arthrosis.
Sometimes the loss of cartilage tissue in the shoulder joint is due to systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, etc.consequence.
Symptoms
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint has many characteristic symptoms.Among them:
- pain in the shoulder, especially when starting to move;
- morning stiffness and restriction of movement after prolonged "inactivity";
- cracking, clicking or rubbing sensation in the shoulder joint during movement;
- limited mobility of the shoulder joint, which is progressive.
Sometimes pain from arthrosis of the shoulder joint appears only after prolonged stress in this area.The intensity of the symptoms of the disease, as well as their combination with each other, can be different for each patient.However, pain usually remains a stable symptom of the disease.
If you ignore the 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 the more obvious symptoms of the disease:
- swelling of the joint;
- severe continuous pain;
- forced restriction of movements (up to complete immobility of the joint).
The long course of the disease can lead to muscle atrophy due to refusal of usual activities.In such a situation, only surgery helps to cope with the disease.
Treatment
Unfortunately, wear and tear of cartilage tissue is an irreversible process.If shoulder joint arthrosis is in the early stages of development, the symptoms are temporary and mild, conservative treatment aimed at restoring the joint's functions is recommended for patients with shoulder joint arthrosis.In general, therapy includes:
- limiting activity and cooling the joint until the inflammation subsides;
- Use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to relieve pain and inflammation;
- use of hormonal drugs for intra-articular administration (if the above drugs do not give the expected effect).
After suppressing the inflammatory process, the treatment of arthrosis usually includes:
- massages;
- regular exercise (physical therapy);
- physiotherapy procedures (shock wave therapy, laser therapy, myostimulation, phonophoresis, ozone therapy, etc.).
In addition, patients with arthrosis of the shoulder joint are usually prescribed drugs aimed at restoring cartilage tissue.These are chondroprotective drugs.
Modern methods of conservative treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint
Doctors can use many new techniques to treat the destructive processes of the cartilage joint.
Autoplasmotherapy
With this procedure, the patient injects his own platelet-rich plasma.It is believed that the growth factors present in platelets are able to 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 helps restore metabolism, activates local immunity, improves microcirculation and normalizes tissue respiration.According to doctors, autoplasma therapy enables the full functioning of the joint's synovial membrane, reducing the severity of pain and increasing joint range of motion.
Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid
Scientists around the world are still investigating the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid of non-animal origin in the case of omarthrosis.In 2019, American specialists (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA) published an article that described the results of a preliminary study on the effectiveness of the procedure.Hyaluronic acid was found to reduce the severity of pain and increase the range of motion of the affected joint for more than six months.
When is surgery necessary?
If the conservative treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint does not bring the expected result, and the symptoms of the disease significantly affect the patient's quality of life, doctors may recommend surgery to restore the activity of the affected area.Today, endoprosthesis - the installation of an artificial joint (bioprosthesis) - can cope with 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 limb, neutralize painful sensations and preserve performance as much as possible.