Compared to osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, classic osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is quite rare, but the symptoms of this disease can cause serious discomfort to the patient, therefore it requires comprehensive treatment.Osteoarthritis of the shoulder (osarthrosis) is most often diagnosed in patients over fifty years of age.Its development is associated with a deterioration in the quality of the cartilaginous tissue that covers the surfaces of the joints.Cartilage plays the role of a shock absorber;Thanks to it, the individual bone components slide optimally within the shoulder joint.When the cartilage thins and its integrity is compromised, the bones in the joint begin to come into contact with 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 edges of the shoulder joint.
Causes of the development of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint.
In the vast majority of cases, osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint develops with age due to natural wear and tear of the joint.After all, that part of the body is a fairly complex structure;if regularly subjected to intense stress, the likelihood of pathological changes increases.
There are cases when osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint occurred in younger people.A similar situation is possible if the cartilage tissue was damaged in an accident (a serious fall, a traffic accident, etc.).If a person does not receive proper treatment after an injury, the cartilage is not used properly and this can lead to osteoarthritis.
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 osteoarthritis.Among them:
- shoulder pain, especially when starting to move;
- morning stiffness, as well as limitation of movement after prolonged “inactivity”;
- sensation of crunching, clicking, or rubbing in the shoulder joint when moving;
- limited mobility of the shoulder joint, which is progressive.
Sometimes pain due to osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint occurs only after prolonged stress 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 is usually a stable symptom of the disease.
If you ignore unpleasant symptoms, your arm 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 illness:
- joint swelling;
- severe and continuous pain;
- forced restriction of movements (up to complete immobility of the joint).
A prolonged course of the disease can lead to muscle atrophy due to refusal of usual activities.In such a situation, only surgery will help to cope with the disease.
Treatment
Unfortunately, the wear and tear of cartilage tissue is an irreversible process.If osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is at an early stage of development, the symptoms are transient and mild, the patient with osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is recommended conservative treatment aimed at restoring the functions of the joint.Typically, therapy includes:
- limit activity and cool the joint until the inflammation goes away;
- the use of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to relieve pain and inflammation;
- use of hormonal drugs for intra-articular administration (if the above drugs do not produce the expected effect).
After suppressing the inflammatory process, osteoarthritis treatment usually includes:
- massages;
- regular gymnastics (physiotherapy);
- Physiotherapeutic procedures (shock wave therapy, laser therapy, myostimulation, phonophoresis, ozone therapy, etc.).
In addition, patients with osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint are usually prescribed medications designed to stimulate the restoration of cartilage tissue.These are chondroprotective drugs.
Modern methods of conservative treatment of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint.
To treat destructive processes in the cartilage joint, doctors can use several new techniques.
Autoplasmotherapy
With this intervention, the patient is injected with his own platelet-rich plasma.It is believed that the growth factors present 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, autoplasma therapy allows you to start the full functioning of the synovial membrane of the joint, reduce the intensity of pain and increase the range of motion in the joint.
Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid.
World scientists are still studying the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid of non-animal origin for omarthrosis.In 2019, American specialists (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA) published an article describing the results of a preliminary study on the effectiveness of this procedure.It has been established that hyaluronic acid can reduce the intensity of pain for more than six months and increase the range of motion of the affected joint.
When is surgery necessary?
If conservative treatment of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint does not bring the expected result and the symptoms of the disease significantly interfere with the patient's quality of life, doctors may suggest surgery to restore the activity of the affected area.Today, endoprostheses (the installation of an artificial joint (bioprosthesis)) can solve this problem.This is a relatively new type of surgical intervention that allows you to completely eliminate the problem of osteoarthritis: restore the function of the joint and the entire upper limb, neutralize painful sensations and preserve performance as much as possible.