Deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint is a common pathology, especially in elderly patients. The disease is chronic and develops rapidly. It is diagnosed equally frequently in patients of both sexes. Due to degenerative diseases, damage is observed not only in the cartilage tissue of the joint, but also in the bone tissue. The causes of the problem are microtraumatic injuries to the shoulder joint and inflammatory processes developing in it. The cartilage tissue gradually becomes thinner, microcracks form in which salt deposits accumulate. Then destructive processes gradually affect the bones, which become denser, grow and ultimately change their anatomical shape. The disease progresses over a long period of time without causing any discomfort to a person in the initial stages. This is exactly where the danger lies. Let's take a closer look at the causes, symptoms, as well as how and with what to treat deforming arthrosis.
Why does pathology occur?
Experts cite the following diseases and factors as the causes of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint.
Traumatic injuries
Shoulder injuries include intra-articular fractures, dislocations, and contusions. Fractures are characterized by the fact that the fracture line lies in the joint cavity. In addition to the bone, the cartilage is also affected, which leads to further injuries: ligaments are torn and the capsule is damaged.
A shoulder dislocation is one of the most common injuries and often leads to complications, joint deformities and the development of osteoarthritis. This can cause the joint to completely lose its mobility.
Dislocations of the right shoulder are more common in right-handed people and the left shoulder in left-handed people.
Bruises are caused by a strong blow, for example from an accident, fall or during sport. Due to a bruise, the bones do not shift, the cartilage tissue is not destroyed, but its normal nutrition is disrupted, which can also lead to post-traumatic arthrosis.
Increased load
Excessive stress on the shoulder joint is observed in some groups of people:
- Professional athletes: volleyball players, tennis players, track and field athletes.
- Builders, plasterers, loaders.
- Dachnikov.
They all have to perform the same movements with their raised hand for a long time. This leads to micro-tears and injuries, stretching of ligaments, overloading of the muscles and dysfunction of the blood vessels. The joint lacks nutrients and deforms.
If a person does not monitor strain and take preventative measures, glenohumeral arthrosis may occur.
Joint pathologies
Some joint diseases can cause the development of deforming osteoarthritis.
- Synovitis. The cause is an infection that leads to a large buildup of intra-articular fluid. The accumulation of fluid causes the joint to swell and begin to hurt. Most often, this problem is seen in connection with a shoulder injury. If synovitis is not treated, the likelihood of complications is high. The disease is treated with therapeutic drugs. Pain is relieved by NSAIDs. In addition, the patient undergoes a puncture to pump out the fluid that has accumulated in the joint. The shoulder is then fixed in a stationary position. Infectious synovitis is treated with antibiotics. In the most difficult situations, surgical treatment is carried out.
- Arthritis of the shoulder joint of various origins. Its signs: swelling of the shoulder and severe joint pain.
- Bone necrosis also causes osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint. Triggered by an injury or genetic predisposition, it is characterized by the fact that bone cells begin to die. Depending on the stage of the disease and the individual characteristics of the body, medicine offers therapeutic or surgical correction of the disease. Chondroprotectors restore bone tissue, and NSAIDs help manage pain. The use of medication is supplemented by physiotherapy, massage and exercise therapy.
Heredity, congenital, acquired pathologies
Various anomalies in the structure of the shoulder (congenital or acquired) almost always lead to shoulder deformity. The consequence of muscular dystrophy is inadequate nutrition of the joint tissue and then shoulder arthrosis.
If a person lacks collagen, this also leads to the development of pathology.
The likelihood of developing shoulder arthrosis is much higher in people whose relatives have had similar problems, including coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis, and underdevelopment of cartilage tissue is inherited.
Diseases of the blood vessels
Various disorders in the functioning of blood vessels are considered to be the condition under which the likelihood of arthrosis of the shoulder joint increases.
- Physical inactivity also significantly increases the likelihood of developing pathology. It is caused by insufficient physical activity. The disease is characterized by apathy, drowsiness, decreased appetite and insomnia. One of the most common complications of physical inactivity is cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis. The disease is treated conservatively; compliance with a diet and exercise therapy is also required.
- Obliterating endarteritis. The pathology arises from impaired blood circulation, which leads to a lack of oxygen supply to the vascular tissue. This limits their performance and causes them to die.
- Poor nutrition and insufficient physical activity are conditions for obesity and metabolic disorders, which lead to difficult blood circulation in the joint tissues. The result of the process is the development of osteoarthritis.
- Varicose veins, in which the blood flow in the vessels is slowed down, are also among the diseases that cause degenerative changes in the joints.
Hormonal imbalances and weakened immunity
Disturbed hormone levels and reduced immunity can lead to destructive tendencies in joint tissue.
- The changes that occur in a woman's body during menopause are characterized by metabolic disorders. The lack of calcium in the bones during this period is the result of a decrease in estrogen levels in the female body. The consequence of these processes is possible arthrosis of the joints.
- Psoriasis is a chronic, non-infectious pathology caused by various reasons (stress, reduced immunity, metabolic disorders, etc. ). The disease is systemic, so under certain conditions not only the skin, but also internal organs, bones and joints can be affected.
- Men often suffer from osteoarthritis due to gout. It occurs due to excessive accumulation of uric acid in the form of small crystals in the joints. Signs of pathology include swelling of the joints and pain. Externally, their manifestation can be noticed at the time of paroxysmal exacerbation of gout. This most often happens at night. The shoulder feels hot and the skin turns red. In an advanced situation, gout can become a provoking factor for the development of pathology. To avoid complications, gout must be treated with medication, not forgetting diet and exercise therapy.
- Reduced immunity can be the cause of arthrosis due to an exacerbation of inflammatory processes in the joint cavities.
Impaired metabolism
The lack of absorption of various vitamins and microelements into the body (especially calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D) often leads to a lack of nutrition of the intra-articular fluid, cartilage and bone tissue of the joint, which in turn leads to degenerative-dystrophic changes in them.
Due to diabetes, blood vessels become thinner, blood flow decreases, and the periarticular tissue does not receive enough nutrients. All of this leads to osteoarthritis.
Age-related changes
As we age, bones and cartilage become thinner and weaker. The likelihood of developing shoulder osteoarthritis increases sharply after the age of 50.
Most often, shoulder arthrosis is observed due to exposure to a complex of the listed diseases.
Symptoms
Deforming osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is characterized by a disease that develops gradually over a long period of time. Initially it shows practically nothing, but in later stages of development the following symptoms are observed.
- Shoulder pain. Its character, which most often hurts and pulls, bothers a person in the morning after a night's sleep. May occur before a change in weather. When physical activity is required on the affected shoulder, the pain becomes intense and pronounced. If the situation worsens, the pain syndrome manifests itself even at rest. Wearing an orthosis helps solve the problem.
- Due to severe pain, there is limited motor activity in the affected arm. Exacerbation often occurs due to hypothermia or ligament sprains. The patient cannot lift his arm or perform normal movements. He feels excruciating pain when he makes circular movements in his shoulder or tries to move his arm behind his back. If therapy is not started in a timely manner, complete immobilization of the upper limbs may occur.
- Crunching and creaking in the joint are initially barely noticeable and may be barely noticeable. Later they become more intense and can be heard not only by the patient but also by those around them.
- Joint inflammation is manifested by edema, swelling, local increase in skin temperature and redness.
- The feeling of hardening of the joint is caused by growths of bone tissue - osteophytes - which become noticeable in advanced disease.
development of the disease
The disease goes through three stages in its development. The symptoms at each stage are similar to each other, but differ significantly in intensity.
1st degree osteoarthritis
Grade 1 osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is characterized by mild pain in the morning and evening. The patient "develops" the joint with effort before making movements. A slight crunch in the shoulder is possible if a person jerks his hand sharply. No pain is felt at rest.
Second degree
Second-degree osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is manifested by increased pain and a crunching sensation in the shoulder can be clearly heard. The hand's mobility is still retained, but is already noticeably restricted. The destructive process is already present, the joint tissue gradually becomes thinner and dystrophy occurs. Ligaments, cartilage and bones are affected. Wearing a special orthopedic device - a brace or bandage - helps reduce the intensity of pain.
Osteoarthritis 3 degrees
The third degree of the disease is the most severe. Osteoarthritis symptoms significantly change a person's quality of life. The patient can only rotate his arm slightly, he constantly feels severe pain in the shoulder and deformation of the joint is observed. Some of the muscles atrophy. The problem is solved through surgery. If it is missing, complete immobility and disability can be expected.
Treatment
A cure for osteoarthritis deformans is completely impossible. They can only slow progression and influence symptoms. Doctors offer two types of treatment for deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint: therapeutic and surgical.
Therapeutic treatment
For therapeutic correction of the patient's condition, doctors recommend using the following groups of drugs.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The main goal in this phase of treatment is to relieve inflammation and pain. The drugs suppress inflammatory processes and relieve pain. It is important to remember that NSAIDs are only used for a limited time. They are prescribed both in the form of tablets and in the form of injections.
- Treatment for osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint includes the use of corticosteroids. They help relieve inflammation, thereby stopping the development of pathologies.
- Chondroprotectors for arthrosis are prescribed in the non-acute stage to restore damaged cartilage and bone tissue. These drugs are based on various active ingredients: glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid. They help stop the destruction of cartilage tissue and restore it. However, the effectiveness of the use of chondroprotectors can be expected only at the initial stage of the disease, because for their action the main condition is necessary - cartilage tissue must remain in the affected joint. Otherwise, these medications will not help. All of these medications are prescribed by a doctor. You can only expect positive results after six months of use at the earliest.
- External agents (ointments, gels, creams) are also often used in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
- Analgesics also relieve pain and are used inconsistently.
surgery
The operation is carried out at the third stage of development of the pathology. This is a prosthetic replacement of the shoulder and scapula. Surgical treatment has contraindications, most often the patient's advanced age.
The decision about the treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint is made by an orthopedist or traumatologist.
Other methods of conservative treatment for shoulder osteoarthritis include exercise therapy, massage and conventional medicine. The prerequisite for these methods is that they cannot be used during an exacerbation phase.
In the case of shoulder arthrosis, physiotherapy can significantly alleviate the patient's condition. In the series of exercises you need to select simple movements (circular movements, lifting, bending and straightening the arm). Gymnastics is carried out at a calm pace, without overload.
Self-treatment
For home treatment, you can use folk recipes. However, their use must be coordinated with the treating doctor.
- Rubbing the painful joint helps a lot with osteoarthritis. The rub is prepared from 50 g of elecampane root and 125 ml of vodka. The tincture is kept in a dark place for two weeks and then used to rub the shoulder before bedtime.
- Oatmeal compresses are easy to make yourself. Take 30g of flakes per half liter of water and boil for 8-10 minutes. The decoction is moistened with gauze folded several times and then applied to the affected joint for half an hour.
- You can use cabbage leaves as a compress (at night). They cope well with pain.
- Herbal baths are recommended for the treatment of osteoarthritis deformans. Mustard, mint and burdock are used for its preparation.
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint, like any other joint disease, should not be neglected. Treatment must be approached comprehensively. Follow the doctor's instructions: take medications in a disciplined manner and perform complex exercise therapy. To prevent osteoarthritis, you should not overuse your joints, avoid hypothermia and pay attention to your diet.