The occurrence of osteoarthritis of the shoulder becomes high with aging, while it could also occur in young ones as a result of shoulder dislocation. In this post, we will discuss osteoarthritis of the shoulder along with its causes, treatment, and diagnosis.
Accidents are unexpected, and you never know how serious they could be. Thus, it is always important to know the signs and symptoms of the conditions that could arise after an accident so that you can consult the right doctor. Here, you will get to know about shoulder osteoarthritis in detail. But before that, let us have a brief look at what osteoarthritis is.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Also known as degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is a condition characterized by damage to the articular cartilages. When these cartilages wear down, pain and swelling are commonly noticed. In some cases, bone spurs may also develop because of the rubbing of two bones together.
Osteoarthritis of Shoulder – An Overview
There are two joints that make up the shoulder, the acromioclavicular joint, and the glenohumeral joint. The AC joint is where the clavicle meets the acromion and the glenohumeral joint is where the humerus meets the scapula. When compared to both joints, osteoarthritis is commonly seen in the acromioclavicular joint. It won’t be wrong to say that there is no treatment to improve the function of the shoulder with osteoarthritis, all the efforts made will be aimed at relieving the symptoms like pain. If surgery is required to fix the condition, Orthopedic Implants and Surgical Instruments may also be used.
Causes of Shoulder Osteoarthritis
Shoulder osteoarthritis can be classified as:
Primary
Secondary
Primary Osteoarthritis
There is no specific cause of primary osteoarthritis as it generally occurs due to age and gender-related factors. Primary osteoarthritis is most commonly seen in people above 50 years of age and it is more prevalent in women than men.
Secondary Osteoarthritis
Secondary osteoarthritis is the condition that develops due to an injury, infection, rotator cuff tear, or history of shoulder dislocations. This condition could also develop in people engaged in activities that require lifting heavy objects regularly and who play sports.
Symptoms of Shoulder Osteoarthritis
Pain is the most common symptom associated with shoulder osteoarthritis, and with that, swelling may also be seen. The location of pain will depend upon the type of shoulder osteoarthritis, as, if the glenohumeral joint is affected, the pain will occur at the back of the shoulder, whereas if AC joint is involved, the pain will be experienced at the top of the shoulder. Besides this, stiffness and limited movement of the affected shoulder joint are other symptoms that may be noticed.
Diagnosis of Shoulder Osteoarthritis
A physical examination will be performed first by the doctor to notice the range of motion of the shoulder joint and visible signs like swelling & stiffness. Besides this, the doctor will also ask about the symptoms and medical history for the correct diagnosis. After all this, an x-ray examination is likely to be prescribed by the doctor.
Treatment of Shoulder Osteoarthritis
There is no complete cure for the condition, and the treatment provided will be to relieve the symptoms. Most cases of osteoarthritis can be treated with non-surgical procedures like electrotherapy, thermotherapy, soft tissue massage, balancing exercises, rotator cuff exercises, and acupuncture. Along with this, medication like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, injections, ointments, & lotions may also be given to relieve pain & inflammation. But this is not the case every time, as in certain cases, surgical intervention might be required.
Joint surgery is performed when all other treatment methods fail to provide any relief, and it is done either to remove loose pieces of cartilages or replace damaged joints. This process might require orthopedic implants.
Siora is a reliable Orthopedic Supplier in Malaysia with hundreds of global clients. Based in India, the company is known to manufacture all types of orthopedic devices meeting ISO 13485:2016 standards. Siora is a CE-certified company and is also known to be a trustworthy OEM/contract manufacturing service provider.
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