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, so comprehensive treatment is required.Shoulder arthrosis (oarthrosis) is most often diagnosed in patients over the age of fifty.Its development is associated with the deterioration of the quality of the cartilage tissue that covers the surfaces of the joints.Cartilage plays the role of a shock absorber;thanks to it, individual bone components slide optimally inside the shoulder joint.When the cartilage thins and its integrity is compromised, the bones in the joint begin to touch 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 the development of arthrosis of the shoulder joint
In the vast majority of cases, arthrosis of the shoulder joint develops with age due to the natural wear and tear of the joint.After all, such a part of the body is a rather complex structure;if it is regularly subjected to severe stress, the probability of pathological changes increases.
There are cases when arthrosis of the shoulder joint occurs in younger people.A similar situation is possible if the cartilage tissue is damaged in an accident (bad fall, traffic accident, etc.).If a person does not receive proper treatment after an injury, the cartilage is not used properly, and this can lead to arthrosis.
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 arthritis.among them:
- pain in the shoulder, especially when it begins to move;
- morning stiffness, as well as restriction of movement after prolonged "inactivity";
- a snapping, clicking or rubbing sensation in the shoulder joint when moving;
- limited mobility of the shoulder joint, which is progressive.
Sometimes pain due to arthrosis of the shoulder joint occurs only after prolonged stress in this area.The intensity of the symptoms of the disease, as well as their mutual combination, may differ in different patients.However, pain, as a rule, remains a stable symptom of the disease.
If you ignore unpleasant symptoms, your hand will hurt even more and the disease will progress.The joint cavity will narrow to a minimum, and the inflammatory process will begin.In such a situation, the patient will suffer from more obvious symptoms of the disease:
- joint swelling;
- severe continuous pain;
- forced limitation of movement (up to complete immobility of the joint).
A long course of the disease can lead to muscle atrophy due to rejection 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 in the early stages of development, the symptoms are transitory and mild, conservative treatment is recommended for the patient with arthrosis of the shoulder joint in order to restore the functions of the joint.Typically, therapy includes:
- limiting activity and cooling the joint until the inflammation is eliminated;
- use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to relieve pain and inflammation;
- use of hormonal drugs for intra-articular administration (if the above-mentioned drugs do not give the expected effect).
After suppressing the inflammatory process, the treatment of arthrosis usually includes:
- massages;
- regular gymnastics (physical therapy);
- physiotherapeutic procedures (shock wave therapy, laser therapy, myostimulation, phonophoresis, ozone therapy, etc.).
Also, patients with arthrosis of the shoulder joint are usually prescribed drugs that are designed to stimulate the renewal of cartilage tissue.These are chondroprotective drugs.
Modern methods of conservative treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint
Doctors can use several new techniques to treat destructive processes in the cartilage joint.
Autoplasmotherapy
With this intervention, the patient is injected with his own platelet-rich plasma.It is believed that those growth factors that are 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 enables the full functioning of the synovial membrane of the joint, reducing pain and increasing 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 world scientists.In 2019, an article was published by American specialists (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Arizona School of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA), which describes the results of a preliminary study on the effectiveness of this procedure.Hyaluronic acid has been found to reduce pain for more than six months and increase the range of motion of the affected joint.
When is surgery necessary?
If the conservative treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint does not give the expected result, and the symptoms of the disease significantly interfere with the patient's quality of life, doctors may suggest an operation to restore the activity of the affected area.Today, endoprosthetics – implantation of an artificial joint (bioprosthesis) – can deal with this problem.This is a relatively new type of surgical intervention, which 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.