SHOULDER ARTHROSIS (ARTHROSIS IN THE SHOULDER)
What is shoulder osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis of the shoulder)?
Shoulder osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis of the shoulder) The most common disease of our joints is osteoarthritis. In everyday language, this is also called wear and tear. The disease is chronic. In all joints in our body there is cartilage, which, among other things, acts as a sliding surface in the joint and facilitates movement. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down gradually. Some joints are affected more often than others and the most common areas to be affected are the hip, knee and fingers. It is not known for sure why you get this disease. Inheritance matters, so if the mother or father has osteoarthritis, you run an increased risk of being affected. One-sided strain in, for example, work or strenuous exercise is also a risk factor. Previous fracture or other joint damage such as the joint becoming dislocated can increase the risk of developing wear. With increasing age, it becomes more common to suffer from osteoarthritis.
Symptoms of shoulder arthritis
-Common symptoms of shoulder osteoarthritis are morning and start stiffness and pain that often decreases when you get started with movement.
-Generally stiff to move the arm and often load pain, especially in the outer positions. Rest pain is common.
-In some cases, crepitations occur in the joint, it "creaks" when you touch it.
If you have osteoarthritis, the problems can come and go. A period where you are relatively hassle-free can be followed by a period of increased hassle, you then get a so-called relapse. How these shovels will come and how long they will last, can not be predicted. Sometimes they come for no apparent reason, sometimes they are started by straining the affected joint too hard.
The story of the perceived problems in combination with examination, often leads to a relatively certain diagnosis. An ordinary smooth X-ray often shows in these cases lowered articular cartilage and bone deposits in connection with the articular cartilage. Nearby ligaments and muscles can also be affected. However, an X-ray is not necessary to make the diagnosis.
For most people, the problems stay at a manageable level if you take care of your shoulder, preferably with a physiotherapist and doctor as a sounding board. For a small part, the problems become too serious and for these there is the possibility of operating on a prosthesis in the shoulder joint. This is something you discuss with an orthopedist.
Treatment for osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint
Exercise is the single most important part of the treatment. This is to optimize mobility and load tolerance in the joint. It is important to adapt the training to the individual so that it does not provoke the joint. So we want to challenge the trail but not provoke. Some pain during training is ok, as long as it does not lead to increased pain after training. The training can be performed at a training facility or in a home environment.
Manual treatment help to increase mobility and reduce pain. We often try our hand at this initially, in combination with the training being started.
If the patient has a lot of pain, the doctor can try to treat with anti-inflammatory drugs, which can calm the joint with reduced pain and improved mobility as a result. Which in turn then facilitates the initiation of training rehabilitation.
Prognosis in osteoarthritis
For most people, the problems stay at a manageable level if you take care of your shoulder, preferably with a physiotherapist and doctor as a sounding board. For a small proportion, 15-20 percent of all people who suffer from osteoarthritis, the problems become too serious and lower their quality of life, despite exercise and treatment. For these, there is the possibility of operating on a prosthesis in the shoulder joint. This is something you discuss with an orthopedist. The results after surgery show good pain relief and increased mobility in the shoulder.
