Compared to arthropathy of the hip or knees, classic arthropathy 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 arthropathy (arthrosis) 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 that covers the surfaces of the joints.Cartilage plays the role of a shock absorber.Thanks to this, the individual bone components slide optimally into the shoulder joint.When the cartilage thins and its integrity is compromised, 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 ends of the shoulder joint.
Causes of developing arthropathy of the shoulder joint
In the vast majority of cases, arthropathy of the shoulder joint develops with age due to 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 intense stress, the possibility of pathological changes increases.
There are cases where arthropathy of the shoulder joint appeared in younger people.A similar situation is possible if the cartilage tissue was damaged in 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 arthropathy.
Sometimes the loss of cartilage tissue in the shoulder joint is a result of systemic diseases, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
Symptoms
There are several typical symptoms of shoulder arthritis.Among them:
- shoulder pain, especially when starting to move.
- morning stiffness, as well as restriction of movement after prolonged "inactivity".
- a popping, 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 pressure on this area.The intensity of the symptoms of the disease, as well as their combination with each other, may differ in different patients.However, pain, as a rule, remains a constant symptom of the disease.
If you ignore the 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 be bothered by more obvious symptoms of the disease:
- joint swelling;
- severe constant pain;
- forced restriction of movements (up to complete immobility of the joint).
A long course of the disease can lead to muscle atrophy due to denial of usual activities.In such a situation, only surgery will help to treat the disease.
Treatment
Unfortunately, the wear and tear of cartilage tissue is an irreversible process.If the arthropathy of the shoulder joint is in the early stage of development, the symptoms are transient and mild, conservative treatment aimed at restoring joint functions is recommended for the patient with arthropathy of the shoulder joint.Typically, treatment includes:
- limiting activity and cooling the joint until the inflammation is gone.
- the 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 result);
After suppressing the inflammatory process, the treatment of arthropathy usually includes:
- massage?
- regular exercise (physical therapy).
- physical therapy procedures (shock wave therapy, laser therapy, muscle stimulation, phonophoresis, ozone therapy, etc.).
Also, patients with arthropathy of the shoulder joint are usually prescribed drugs designed to stimulate the repair of cartilage tissue.These are chondroprotective drugs.
Modern methods of conservative treatment of shoulder joint arthrosis
To treat destructive processes in the cartilage joint, doctors can use several new techniques.
Autoplasma therapy
With this intervention, the patient is injected with their own platelet-rich plasma.It is believed that these 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 created and small blood vessels develop, and this in turn helps to restore metabolism, activate local immunity, improve microcirculation and normalize tissue respiration.According to doctors, autoplasm therapy makes it possible to start 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 the joint is still being studied by world scientists.In 2019, an article was published by American experts (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA), which described the results of a preliminary study of the effectiveness of this procedure.It has been found 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 produce 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, endoprosthetics—the installation of an artificial joint (bioprosthetics)—can address this problem.This is a relatively new type of surgery, which allows you to completely eliminate the problem of arthropathy: restore the function of the joint and the entire upper limb, neutralize painful sensations and maintain performance as long as possible.