Compared to arthrosis of the hip or knee, classical arthrosis of the shoulder joint is quite rare, but the symptoms of this disease can cause severe discomfort to the patient, so it requires comprehensive treatment.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 broken, the bones of the joint begin to come into contact with each other.It is a painful process that causes limitation of joint movement.The progression of the disease leads to 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 with age due to natural wear and tear of the joint.Such a part of the body is a rather complex structure;If it is regularly exposed to severe stress, the probability of pathological changes increases.
There are cases when arthrosis of the shoulder joint occurred in young people.A similar situation is possible if the cartilage tissue was damaged during an accident (bad fall, car 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 arthrosis.including:
- Pain in the shoulder, especially when starting to move;
- morning stiffness, as well as restriction of movement after long "inactivity";
- A feeling of cracking, clicking or sticking in the shoulder joint when moving;
- Limited mobility of the shoulder joint, which is progressive.
Sometimes pain due to arthrosis of the shoulder joint appears only after long-term stress on this area.The intensity of the symptoms of the disease, as well as their combination with each other, may vary in different patients.However, pain usually remains a stable symptom of the disease.
If you ignore the unpleasant symptoms, the arm hurts even more and the disease progresses.The joint cavity will narrow to a minimum and the inflammatory process will begin.In such a situation, the patient suffers from more obvious symptoms of the disease:
- joint swelling;
- severe continuous pain;
- Forced restriction of movements (up to complete immobility of the joint).
A long course of the disease can cause muscle atrophy due to refusal of usual activity.In such a situation, only surgical intervention will help to deal with the disease.
treatment
Unfortunately, cartilage wear 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 to restore joint functions.Typically, therapy includes:
- Limiting activity and cooling the joint until the inflammation is eliminated;
- Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 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, arthrosis treatment usually includes:
- massages;
- regular exercise (physical therapy);
- Physiotherapy procedures (shock wave therapy, laser therapy, myostimulation, phonophoresis, ozone therapy, etc.).
Also, patients with arthrosis of the shoulder joint are usually prescribed medications designed to stimulate the regeneration 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 the destructive processes of cartilage joints.
Autoplasmotherapy
With this intervention, the patient receives his own platelet-rich plasma.It is believed that the growth factors found 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 restore metabolism, activate local immunity, improve microcirculation, and normalize tissue respiration.According to doctors, autoplasmotherapy makes it possible to start the full functioning 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 in omarthrosis is still being studied by world scientists.In 2019, an article by American Specialists (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA) was published, which described the results of a preliminary study of the effectiveness of this procedure.It has been established that hyaluronic acid can reduce the severity of 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 disturb the patient's quality of life, doctors may suggest an operation to restore the activity of the affected area.Today, this problem is solved by endoprosthesis - installation of an artificial joint (bioprosthesis).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 maintain performance as much as possible.