Deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint is a common pathology, especially in elderly patients. The disease is chronic and develops rapidly. It is equally often diagnosed in patients of both sexes. Due to degenerative disorders, damage is observed not only to the cartilage tissue of the joint, but also to the bone tissue. The causes of the problem are microtraumatic injuries of the shoulder joint and inflammatory processes developing in it. Cartilage tissue gradually thins, microcracks appear on it, in which salt deposits accumulate. After that, the destructive processes gradually affect the bones, which become denser, grow and eventually change their anatomical shape. The disease progresses for a long time without causing discomfort to a person in the initial stages of the disease. In fact, this is where its danger lies. Let's dwell in more detail on the causes, symptoms, as well as how and with what to treat deforming arthrosis.
Why does pathology occur?
Among the causes of arthrosis of the shoulder joint, experts indicate 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 articulation cavity. In addition to the bone, it also affects the cartilage, causing additional injuries: ligaments are torn, the capsule is damaged.
Dislocation of the shoulder is one of the most common injuries, which often leads to complications, deformation of the joint and the development of arthrosis. As a result, the joint can completely lose mobility.
Dislocations of the right shoulder are observed more often 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 sports. Due to a bruise, the bones are not displaced, the cartilage tissue is not destroyed, but its normal nutrition is disturbed, which can also lead to post-traumatic arthrosis.
Increased load
Excessive load 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 do the same type of movement with their hand raised for a long time. Because of this, they experience microcracks and injuries, sprained ligaments, muscles are overworked and the functioning of blood vessels is impaired. The joint lacks nutrients and deforms.
If a person does not monitor the load and does not take preventive measures, then glenohumeral arthrosis can occur.
Joint pathologies
Some joint pathologies can provoke the development of deforming arthrosis.
- synovitis. The cause is an infection that causes intense formation of intra-articular fluid. Due to the accumulation of fluid, the joint swells and starts to hurt. Most often, this problem is observed in connection with a shoulder injury. 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 puncture to pump out the fluid accumulated inside the joint. The arm is then fixed in a stationary position. Infectious synovitis is treated with antibiotics. In the most difficult situations, surgical treatment is performed.
- Arthritis of the shoulder joint of various origins. Its signs: swelling of the shoulder and pronounced pain in the joints.
- Bone necrosis also causes osteoarthritis 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 to cope with pain. The use of drugs is complemented by physiotherapy, massage and therapeutic exercises.
Heredity, congenital, acquired pathologies
Various abnormalities in the structure of the shoulder (congenital or acquired) almost always deform it. The consequence of muscular dystrophy is insufficient nutrition of the tissues of the joint and then shoulder arthrosis.
If a person has a lack of collagen, this will also provoke the development of pathology.
The probability of developing shoulder arthrosis is much higher in those people whose relatives had similar problems, including coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis, etc. underdevelopment of cartilage tissue is inherited.
Diseases of blood vessels
The condition in which the probability of arthrosis of the shoulder joint increases is considered to be a variety of disorders in the functioning of blood vessels.
- Lack of physical activity 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.
- Endarteritis obliterans. The pathology occurs due to impaired blood circulation, which leads to a lack of oxygen to the tissues of the vessel. Thus, their effectiveness is limited and then they die.
- Poor nutrition and insufficient physical activity are conditions for obesity and impaired metabolism, which leads to difficult blood circulation in the 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 provoking degenerative changes in the joints.
Hormonal imbalance and weakened immunity
Disturbed hormonal levels and reduced immunity can become a factor causing destructive tendencies in joint tissues.
- 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 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, impaired metabolism, etc. ). The disease is systemic, which is why, under certain conditions, not only the skin can be affected, but also the internal organs, bones and joints.
- Men often suffer from arthrosis due to gout. This is 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 noticed during a paroxysmal exacerbation of gout. Most often this happens at night. The shoulder is hot and the skin is 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 exacerbation of inflammatory processes in the joint cavities.
Disturbed metabolism
The lack of intake of various vitamins and trace elements 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 degenerative-dystrophic changes in 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 probability of developing shoulder arthrosis after the age of 50 increases sharply.
Most often, shoulder arthrosis is observed due to exposure to a complex of the listed conditions.
Symptoms
Deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint is characterized as a disease that develops gradually over a long period of time. Initially, it shows almost nothing, but in the later stages of development, the following symptoms are observed.
- Shoulder pain. Its character, most often painful, pulling, bothers a person in the morning, after a night's rest. It may appear before the weather changes. If physical activity is required on the affected shoulder, the pain becomes intense and pronounced. As the situation worsens, the pain syndrome manifests itself even at rest. Wearing a brace helps to solve the problem.
- Violation of the motor activity of the affected hand occurs due to severe pain. Exacerbation often occurs due to hypothermia or stretched ligaments. The patient cannot raise his arm or perform the 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 promptly, complete immobilization of the upper limbs may occur.
- Crackling and grinding in the joint is not very noticeable at first and may be barely noticeable. Later they become intense and are 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 hardening of the joint is caused by growths of bone tissue - osteophytes, which occurs if the disease is advanced.
Development of the disease
The disease goes through three stages in its development. The symptoms of each stage are similar to each other, but differ significantly in intensity.
Arthrosis 1 degree
Arthrosis of the shoulder joint 1 degree is characterized by mild pain in the morning and evening. The patient "develops" the joint with effort before performing movements. A slight crunch in the shoulder is possible if one jerks the arm. No pain is felt at rest.
Second major
Arthrosis of the shoulder joint of the 2nd degree manifests itself with stronger pain, a crunch is clearly heard in the shoulder. The mobility of the hand is still preserved, but it is now significantly reduced. The destructive process is already present, the tissues of the joint gradually thin and dystrophy is observed. Ligaments, cartilage and bones are affected. Wearing a special orthopedic device - an orthosis or bandage - helps to reduce the intensity of pain.
Arthrosis 3rd degree
The third degree of the disease is the most severe. The symptoms of arthrosis significantly change a person's quality of life. The patient can only slightly rotate his arm, constantly experiences sharp pain in the shoulder, deformation of the joint is observed. Muscles partially atrophy. The problem is solved with surgery. In its absence, complete immobility and disability are likely.
Treatment
It is completely impossible to cure deforming arthrosis. You can only slow down its development 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 the use of the following groups of drugs.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The main goal of 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 period of time. They are prescribed both in the form of tablets and in the form of injections.
- Treatment of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint involves the use of corticosteroids. They help relieve inflammation, thereby stopping the development of pathology.
- Chondroprotectors for arthrosis are prescribed in a non-acute stage to restore damaged cartilage and bone tissue. These drugs are based on different active substances: glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid. They help to 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, becauseFor their action, the main condition is necessary - the 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 six months of use.
- External means (ointments, gels, creams) 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 degree of development of the pathology. It consists of shoulder and scapula prosthetics. Operative 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 a traumatologist.
Additional methods for conservative treatment of shoulder arthrosis include exercise therapy, massage and traditional medicine. A mandatory condition for these methods is that they should not be used during a period of exacerbation.
With arthrosis of the shoulder, physical therapy can significantly relieve the patient's condition. In the complex of exercises, you should choose simple movements (circular movements, lifting, flexion-extension of the arm). Gymnastics is performed at a leisurely pace, without overloading.
Self-medication
For treatment at home, you can use folk recipes. But their use must be agreed with the attending physician.
- Rubbing the diseased joint helps a lot with arthrosis. The rub is prepared from 50 g of comfrey root and 125 ml of vodka. The tincture is left for two weeks in a dark place, after which the shoulder is rubbed before going to bed.
- You can easily make oatmeal compresses yourself. Take 30 g of flakes per half liter of water and boil for 8-10 minutes. Folded gauze is moistened with the decoction several times, after which it is applied to the diseased joint for half an hour.
- You can use cabbage leaves as a compress (at night). They handle pain well.
- Herbal baths are recommended for the treatment of deforming arthrosis. Mustard, mint, burdock are used for their preparation.
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint, like any other joint disease, cannot be ignored. Its treatment must be approached comprehensively, the doctor's prescriptions must be followed: medicines must be taken in a disciplined manner, a set of exercises must be performed. To prevent arthrosis, you should not overload the joints, avoid overcooling and monitor your diet.