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 often in patients of both sexes. Due to degenerative disorders, 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 in the shoulder joint and inflammatory processes that develop in it. Cartilage tissue gradually becomes thinner, microcracks appear on it, in which salt deposits accumulate. Then the destructive processes gradually affect the bones, which become denser, grow and finally change their anatomical shape. The disease progresses over a long period of time, without causing any discomfort to a person in the initial stages of the disease. In fact, therein lies its danger. Let's dwell in more detail on the causes, symptoms, as well as how and with what to treat deforming arthrosis.
Why does the pathology appear?
Among the causes of arthrosis of the shoulder joint, experts mention the following conditions and factors.
Traumatic injuries
Shoulder injuries include intra-articular fractures, dislocations and contusions. Fractures are characterized by the fact that the fracture line is located in the joint cavity. In addition to the bone, it also affects the cartilage, causing additional injuries: the ligaments are torn, the capsule is damaged.
Shoulder dislocation is one of the most common injuries, which often leads to complications, joint deformities and the development of arthrosis. As a result, the joint can completely lose mobility.
Dislocations of the right shoulder are more often observed in right-handed people, and of the left in left-handed people.
Bruises occur as a result of a strong impact, for example due to an accident, fall or playing sports. Because of a bruise, the bones are not displaced, the cartilage tissue is not destroyed, but its normal nutrition is disrupted, which can also lead to post-traumatic arthrosis.
Increased load
Excessive load on the shoulder joint is observed in several groups of people:
- Professional athletes: volleyball players, tennis players, track and field athletes.
- Builder, plasterer, loader.
- Dachnikov.
They all have to make the same kind of movements with their raised hand for a long time. Therefore, they experience microcracks and injuries, strained ligaments, muscles are strained and the functioning of blood vessels is interrupted. The joint lacks nutrients and deforms.
If a person does not monitor the load and does not take preventive measures, then glenohumeral arthrosis may occur.
Joint pathologies
Some articular pathologies can provoke the development of deforming arthrosis.
- Synovitis. Its cause is an infection that causes intense formation of intra-articular fluid. Due to fluid accumulation, the joint swells and starts to hurt. Most often this problem is observed in connection with shoulder injuries. If synovitis is not treated, there is a high probability of complications. The disease is treated with therapeutic agents. Pain is relieved by NSAIDs. In addition, the patient will undergo a catheter to pump out the accumulated fluid inside the joint. The shoulder is then fixed in a stationary position. Synovitis of an infectious nature is treated with antibiotics. In the most difficult situations, surgical treatment is performed.
- Arthritis of the shoulder joints of various origins. Its symptoms: swelling of the shoulder and severe pain in the joints.
- Bone necrosis also causes arthrosis of the shoulder joint. Caused by injury or genetics, it is characterized by the fact that bone cells begin to die. Medicine offers therapeutic or surgical correction of the condition, depending on the stage of the disease and the individual characteristics of the body. Chondroprotectors restore bone tissue and NSAIDs help cope with pain. The use of medications is complemented by physiotherapy, massage and exercise therapy.
Heredity, congenital and acquired pathologies
Various anomalies in the structure of the shoulder (congenital or acquired) almost always deform it. The consequence of muscular dystrophy is insufficient nutrition of joint tissues and then shoulder arthrosis.
If a person has a lack of collagen, this will also provoke the development of pathology.
The possibility of developing shoulder arthrosis is much higher in those people whose relatives had similar problems, including coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis, because the underdevelopment of cartilage tissue is inherited.
Diseases of blood vessels
The condition in which the possibility of arthrosis of the shoulder joint increases is considered to be various disorders in the functioning of blood vessels.
- Physical inactivity also significantly increases the possibility 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 lack of physical activity is cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis. The disease is treated conservatively, it is also necessary to follow a diet and exercise therapy.
- obliterative endarteritis. The pathology occurs due to impaired blood circulation, which results in a lack of oxygen supply to the tissues of the vessel. Thus, their performance is limited, and then they die.
- Poor nutrition and insufficient physical activity are conditions for obesity and damaged metabolism, which leads to difficult blood circulation in joint tissues. The result of the process is the development of arthrosis.
- Varicose veins, in which the blood flow in the vessels slows down, is also one of the conditions that provoke degenerative changes in the joints.
Hormonal imbalances and weakened immunity
Disturbed hormonal levels and reduced immunity can become a factor that causes destructive tendencies in joint tissue.
- The changes that occur in a woman's body due to menopause are characterized by metabolic disorders. The lack of calcium in the bones during this period is the result of the decrease in estrogen levels in the female body. The consequence of these processes is the possible arthrosis of the joints.
- Psoriasis is a chronic non-infectious pathology caused by various reasons (stress, reduced immunity, damaged metabolism, etc. ). The disease is systemic, therefore, under certain conditions, not only the skin, but also the internal organs, bones and joints can be affected.
- Men often suffer from arthrosis 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 joint swelling and pain. Externally, their manifestation can be observed at the time of paroxysmal exacerbation of gout. Most often this 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 should be treated with medication, not forgetting diet and exercise therapy.
- Reduced immunity can be the cause of arthrosis due to the worsening of inflammatory processes in the joint cavities.
Impaired metabolism
The lack of intake of various vitamins and microelements in the body (especially calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D) often causes a lack of nutrition of the intra-articular fluid, cartilage and bone tissue of the joint, which, in turn, causes degeneration - dystrophic changesin them.
Due to diabetes, blood vessels become thinner, blood flow through them decreases, and periarticular tissues do not receive enough nutrients. All this leads to arthrosis.
Age-related changes
As we age, bones and cartilage become thinner and weaker. The possibility of developing shoulder arthrosis after the age of 50 increases significantly.
Most often, shoulder arthrosis is observed due to exposure to a complex of the listed conditions.
Symptoms
The deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint is characterized as a disease that develops gradually over a long period of time. Initially, it practically does not show anything, however, in the later stages of development, the following symptoms are observed.
- Shoulder pain. Its character, most often painful, attractive, disturbs a person in the morning, after a night's rest. It may happen before the weather changes. If physical activity is necessary in the affected shoulder, the pain becomes intense and pronounced. As the situation worsens, the pain syndrome appears even at rest. Wearing an orthosis helps to solve the problem.
- Impaired motor activity of the affected arm occurs due to severe pain. Exacerbation often occurs due to hypothermia or sprained ligaments. The patient cannot raise the arm or perform usual movements. He experiences excruciating pain when he makes circular movements in the shoulder or tries to move his arm behind his back. If therapy is not started in time, complete immobilization of the upper limbs may occur.
- Creaks and creaks in joints are not very noticeable at first and may be barely noticeable. Later they become intense and can be heard not only by the patient, but also by the people around him.
- Inflammation in the joint is manifested by edema, swelling, local increase in skin temperature and redness.
- The feeling of joint stiffness is caused by growths of bone tissue - osteophytes, which are manifested if the disease is advanced.
Development of the disease
The disease goes through three stages in its development. The symptoms in each stage are similar to each other, however, they differ significantly in intensity.
Grade 1 arthrosis
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint of the first degree is characterized by mild pain in the morning and evening. The patient "develops" the joint with effort before performing the movements. A slight crack in the shoulder is possible if a person shakes the hand sharply. At rest, no pain is felt.
Second degree
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint of the 2nd degree is manifested by stronger pain, a cracking sound in the shoulder is clearly heard. The mobility of the hand is still preserved, but it is already significantly reduced. The destructive process is already present, the joint tissues gradually become thinner and dystrophy is observed. Ligaments, cartilage and bones are affected. Wearing a special orthopedic device - an orthosis or bandage - helps reduce the intensity of pain.
Arthrosis 3 degrees
The third degree of the disease is the most severe. Symptoms of arthrosis significantly change a person's quality of life. The patient is only able to turn the arm slightly, constantly experiences acute pain in the shoulder, and deformity of the joint is observed. Muscles partially atrophy. The problem is solved by surgery. In its absence, there is likely to be complete immobility and disability.
Treatment
It is completely impossible to cure deforming arthrosis. You can only slow its progress and affect the symptoms. Doctors offer two types of treatment for deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint: therapeutic and surgical.
Therapeutic treatment
As a therapeutic correction of the patient's condition, doctors suggest using the following groups of drugs.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The main goal at this stage of treatment is to relieve inflammation and pain. Medicines suppress inflammatory processes and relieve pain. It is important to remember that NSAIDs are used for a limited time. They are prescribed both in the form of tablets and in the form of injections.
- Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint involves the use of corticosteroids. They help relieve inflammation, thus stopping the development of pathology.
- Chondroprotectors for arthrosis are prescribed in the non-acute phase to restore cartilage and damaged bone tissue. These drugs are based on different active substances: glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid. They help stop the destruction of cartilage tissue and restore it. But the effectiveness of the use of chondroprotectors can be expected only in the initial stages of the disease, because for their action, the main condition is necessary - cartilage tissue must remain in the affected joint. Otherwise, these drugs will not help. All these drugs are prescribed by a doctor. You can expect positive results from their use no earlier than after six months of use.
- External agents (ointment, gel, cream) are also widely used in the treatment of arthrosis.
- Analgesics also relieve pain and are used inconsistently.
Surgery
The operation is performed at the third stage of development of the pathology. It consists in the prosthetic replacement of the shoulder and scapula. Surgical treatment has contraindications, most often the advanced age of the patient.
The decision on how to treat arthrosis of the shoulder joint will be made by an orthopedist or traumatologist.
Additional methods of conservative treatment of shoulder arthrosis include exercise therapy, massage and traditional medicine. A prerequisite for these methods is that they should not be used during a period of irritation.
With shoulder arthrosis, physical therapy can significantly alleviate the patient's condition. In the group of exercises, you should choose simple movements (circular movements, lifting, flexion-extension of the arm). Gymnastics is performed at a calm pace, without overloading.
Self-medication
For home treatment, you can use popular recipes. But their use must be agreed with the attending physician.
- Rubbing the injured joint helps a lot with osteoarthritis. The rub is prepared from 50 g of elecampane root and 125 ml of vodka. The tincture is left for two weeks in a dark place, then it is used to rub the shoulder before going to bed.
- Oatmeal compresses are easy to make yourself. Take 30 g of flakes for half a liter of water and boil for 8-10 minutes. The decoction is moistened with gauze folded several times, 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 deforming arthrosis. For their preparation, mustard, mint and burdock are used.
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint, like any other joint disease, cannot be ignored. Its treatment should be treated comprehensively, follow the doctor's orders: take medications in a disciplined manner, perform a complex of exercise therapy. To prevent arthrosis, you should not overload the joints, avoid excessive cooling and take care of your diet.