When determining the diagnosis of shoulder osteoarthritis, the symptoms and treatment are largely interrelated. This pathology refers to degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the musculoskeletal system. This disorder is characterized by the gradual wear and tear of cartilage tissue and key elements of the joints. According to statistics, more than 45% of modern elderly people have obvious manifestations of this shoulder pain. This disease is extremely dangerous, because it can cause early disability. At first, the shoulder joints crackle, but then more pronounced symptoms appear.
Main signs of shoulder osteoarthritis
In relatively young people, injured shoulder joints are most often observed. The cause of this pathological condition stems from tissue damage. Even minor trauma can trigger the development of the disease. In this case, the pathology manifests itself faster and progresses in a more acute form than tissue damage against the background of the natural aging process. Therefore, when symptoms characteristic of this medical condition appear, targeted treatment is needed to prevent the problem from getting worse.
In most cases, this disorder has no symptoms for a long time. At first, arthropathy of the right shoulder may be manifested by a slight decrease in joint mobility after physical stress. There is also a dull ache for a short period of time. Such signs of the development of pathology can be missed by a person for a long time.
It should be noted that degenerative joint deformity (DOA) of the left shoulder joint is observed several times less than that of the right joint. This is due to the peculiarities of load distribution when lifting weights in everyday life. However, in this case, the symptoms are much more intense even in the early stages of the development of the pathology. With certain hand movements, there is often a characteristic crackle in the shoulder. Pain sensation in this case may be completely absent. Shoulder fibrosis of the left shoulder joint, as well as the right joint, can over a long time be manifested by small morphological changes in the structure of tissues.
In this condition, even a short period of rest can lead to severe stiffness. It is very difficult to fully move your hand. In some cases, the discomfort can be long-lasting. Hand with shoulder osteoarthritis in the morning sounds difficult. Severe numbness may occur. In addition, with this disease, already in the early stages of development, there is a violation of muscle tone in the affected area. In the future, with degenerative joint disease, the shoulder joint creaks when performing different hand movements. Even in this case, intense pain sensations may not be present.
Many shoulder ailments are contraindications to urgent military service. However, the changes must be clearly visible. Usually the military does not call young people with severe shoulder osteoarthritis after trauma. This must be taken into account when passing the medical examination.
Main symptoms of shoulder osteoarthritis
If the patient ignores the initial signs of the clavicle on their own, the situation may worsen in the future. Under the acromion means an element of the shoulder complex, which includes the scapula, scapula, and collarbone. It is this factor that is affected against the background of significant thinning and destruction of cartilage tissue. In the 2nd and 3rd stages of the development of a medical condition such as shoulder arthritis, the symptoms become very obvious.
In this case, changes in the structure of tissues are pronounced. Already in the 2nd stage of the pathological process, when raising the arms and bringing them to the sides, the shoulders are loud. The joint is gradually deformed, accompanied by episodes of the inflammatory process. In this case, when lifting even a small weight, pain may appear. There is often muscle tension in the neck. The temperature in the area of the affected joint is increased. In addition, swelling and swelling are observed.
Crackling sound in the shoulder joint and pain in the 3rd stage of pathological development persists continuously. Gradually, the limitation of joint mobility increases. The shoulder joint is accompanied by increased sensitivity to changes in weather conditions. When the weather is cold and rainy, the patient may complain of shoulder pain. When raising the arm, the symptoms of the disease in a person intensifies. In women, an exacerbation of the manifestations of this pathology is observed in the postmenopausal period. Osteoarthritis of the shoulder leads to complete destruction of the joint surface and elements of the bone. This causes immobility of the limb. Such an unfavorable course is extremely rare. Most often, the cause of its development stems from inadequate treatment and the presence of increased physical stress on the joints.
Diagnosis of shoulder osteoarthritis
When the characteristic signs of a medical condition appear, you should contact a specialist as soon as possible. Considering which doctor treats osteoarthritis, this disease must be taken into account in some highly specialized centers, then stopped under the control of a rheumatologist. In most cases, the patient is assisted by a traumatologist, rheumatologist, or orthopedist. A comprehensive diagnosis of shoulder arthropathy is carried out under the supervision of several physicians. It should be noted that a medical condition such as arthropathy progresses slowly, but without targeted therapy, outcomes can be extremely adverse.
The specialist will collect the most accurate pathology and evaluate the patient's complaints. A health check is performed.
This allows the doctor to suspect a problem by figuring out why the joints rattle when rotated.
Limited mobility and other symptoms may indicate a problem. However, to understand what to do to get rid of the symptoms, some research and analysis is required. In order to accurately diagnose DOA of the shoulder joint, it is necessary to perform a conventional x-ray in two projections. In rare cases, doctors have to resort to more specific research methods that allow to obtain accurate data on the condition of the joints. A comprehensive examination may require:
- Ultrasound of the affected area;
- Magnetic resonance imaging;
- Scanning;
- CT;
- thermometer;
- arthroscopy.
During the diagnosis of pathology, general tests of blood and urine are performed. Such studies may reveal markers of the inflammatory process. In addition, indicators of change obtained from laboratory tests may indicate the presence of additional arthritis, which is often observed in this case.
Medical treatment of shoulder osteoarthritis
After a comprehensive examination of the condition of the shoulder joint, the doctor will choose the appropriate therapy. If the disease is in the acute stage of development, when considering the treatment of shoulder osteoarthritis, external fixation of the joint can be indicated by cutting or elastic bandage. This reduces the intensity of symptoms. During this period, the use of certain drugs is shown to eliminate bright signs of pathology.
When there is a pronounced pain syndrome, drugs of the analgesic class are often prescribed. Alternatively, intra-articular corticosteroid injections may be recommended. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are effective. They are used in long-term courses, as they help to eliminate not only the inflammatory process, but also the edema. In addition, they also relieve tension in the neck muscles.
From joint diseases, protective drugs for chondroprotectors are often used. These drugs help reduce the rate at which cartilage tissue is destroyed. Such remedies are especially effective when the patient has already been diagnosed with posttraumatic shoulder osteoarthritis at an early stage of development. Usually, the endocrine drug glucocorticosteroids are included in the treatment regimen. These drugs are used to treat dryness of the shoulder joint, which is accompanied by severe inflammation of the tissues. In addition, these drugs have a pronounced immunosuppressive and antiallergic effect. So, when the question arises about how to cure joint diseases, which are accompanied by an autoimmune reaction, one cannot do without such drugs.
To prevent dry joints, drugs are selected by the doctor individually for each patient. This will give you the best performance. However, in most cases, treating osteoarthritis of the shoulder with medication alone is not recommended. To eliminate the manifestations and prevent exacerbations of this pathological condition, it is necessary to use physiotherapeutic methods, to follow a certain diet and rules of behavior. Currently, the answer to the question of whether shoulder osteoarthritis is curable is something that cannot be ignored. However, with the right integrated approach, marked improvement in disease status can be achieved.
Physiotherapy to eliminate shoulder osteoarthritis
There are a number of procedures and exercises that can alleviate the condition of people with this condition. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that any physiotherapeutic manipulations must be approved by a doctor, since in certain cases they can aggravate the course of such a pathology asACS match. Typically, with DOA of the right shoulder joint, treatment includes:
- massage courses;
- paraffin therapy;
- exercise therapy;
- UHF;
- hydrogen sulfide and radon baths;
- exposure to ultrasound;
- electrophoresis;
- magnetic therapy.
Alternatively, a course of manual therapy may be recommended. How many sessions an osteopathic physician should have depends largely on how quickly DOA syndrome progresses. Often it takes a long time to do it to achieve a positive result. In most cases, with chiropractic treatment, visible improvement and pain-free joints can be achieved. To recover from this disease, you need to learn how to properly perform a complex exercise therapy. In the future, in order to maintain the normal function of the joints, you must perform such exercises for the rest of your life.
Both in case of damage to the joint in the knee and in case of violation of the integrity of the shoulder blade joint, therapeutic exercises must first be learned under the supervision of a physiotherapist. This will avoid overstretching the joint and also help strengthen the muscles that serve as its framework. Such injuries to the clavicle and shoulder joint remain with the patient forever, but its manifestations are effectively treated with an integrative approach.
Diet therapy to reduce the manifestations of the disease
Equally important is proper nutrition in arthritis. It should be aimed at reducing body weight. At the same time, it is very important that the products included in the daily diet fully meet the body's needs for protein, vitamins and minerals. Diet for patients with shoulder osteoarthritis should aim to reduce salt consumption. When choosing what to eat, you need to take into account the recommendations of your doctor.
For people with shoulder deformity, it is recommended to include foods rich in collagen in the diet. These include jellies, jellies, and bone broths. With such diseases of the musculoskeletal system, you should increase your intake of high-fat dairy products, because they contain high levels of calcium, which is necessary to restore damaged cartilage tissue.
When suffering from such a disease as arthritis of the shoulder, it is imperative to include oatmeal, buckwheat and barley porridge in the diet. Nutrition with joint disease has certain limitations. Avoid products made with white flour and sweets. The diet for this pathology involves the use of a large number of vegetables and fruits. These products help to increase the speed of metabolism and are distinguished by an increased content of vitamins and minerals. Their use helps to quickly cope even with such a disease as degenerative deformity of the shoulder joint. When planning meals for arthritis, it is advisable to completely omit any semi-finished products, canned foods, sauces.
Vegetables and meat should be steamed or stewed. It is also allowed to bake dishes in the oven. To prevent collarbone dryness, as well as coxarthrosis, it is very important that you get used to eating foods in small portions. Systematic overeating contributes to an increase in body weight and negatively affects the rate of metabolism.
Shoulder Osteoarthritis Surgery
Surgical intervention is usually indicated at stage 3 of the pathological process, in addition, if the disease progresses rapidly and cannot be controlled by conservative methods. Surgical treatment of shoulder arthropathy can be used when severe deformity is present. In this situation, endoscopic installation is indicated, the damaged elements of the joint are replaced with artificial ones.
This is the only way to prevent disease if the joint is deformed too much, so the mobility of the hand is impaired.
Appropriate surgical intervention, and then a course of rehabilitation, allows you to return a person to a normal life.
Shoulder osteoarthritis if treated definitively without complications, patients can forget about pain and discomfort for a long time, can raise the arm and perform other movements with it. Modern endoprosthes are made from high strength polymers and titanium. They are characterized by a long service life.
Folk remedies for shoulder joint disease
Various recipes based on herbs and other natural ingredients may only be used as an additional method of exposure and after agreement on the suitability of such therapy with a physician. care. When posing the problem of how to cure shoulder osteoarthritis with folk remedies, they often use a mixture of propolis and lard. To prepare this composition, these components must be taken in equal proportions. In order for them to mix well, they must first be melted in a water bath. The resulting composition should be rubbed into the affected area.
To eliminate inflammatory and painful manifestations, it is necessary to take a decoction of corn silk. To prepare it, you need to take about 2-3 tbsp. l. vegetable ingredients and brew with boiling water. It is required to fix in 5-10 minutes. Before each meal, you need to consume 1 tbsp. l. liquid. The course of treatment can be continued until the acute symptoms of joint damage disappear.
Herbal baths can bring certain positive effects. To prepare them, you need to put the decoction of medicinal plants such as chamomile, burdock and nettle into hot water. After the procedure, be sure to rub it with a dry towel.
In addition, applying the liver with oats can eliminate the acute manifestations of shoulder osteoarthritis deformity. First, this herbal product should be incubated and taken out to infuse for 15-20 minutes. The finished product must be placed on the gauze several times and fixed on the shoulder with tape and glue. It is necessary to keep the compresses throughout the night.
In folk medicine, burdock leaves are often used to eliminate manifestations of this disease. They need to be fixed on the shoulder blades and left overnight. The course of treatment with this remedy is about 2 weeks.