Arthritis

Arthritis is a joint disease that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness of bones. Any joint in your body can be affected by arthritis, such as hip, knee, shoulder and spine. When your shoulder gets affected, the inflammation causes stiffness and pain. The shoulder is made of three bones – clavicle, humerus and scapula. The shoulder has two joints – acromioclavicular joint, the one positioned at the point where the clavicle (collarbone) meets the upper end of the shoulder blade (acromion).

The second joint is called the glenohumeral joint, the point where the head of the upper arm bone (humerus) meets the scapula.

Causes

There are different types of shoulder arthritis caused by different reasons, such as:

• Destruction of the articular cartilage (Osteoarthritis)
• Develops after a fracture or shoulder dislocation (post-traumatic arthritis)
• Disrupted blood supply to the head of the humerus (Avascular Necrosis)
• Due to rotator cuff tear (Rotator Cuff Tear Arthropathy)
• Chronic pain in shoulder joints (Rheumatoid Arthritis)

Symptoms

• Unbearable pain in the entire shoulder
• Disrupted sleep
• Restricted shoulder movement
• Clicking and grinding sound while moving the shoulder

Diagnosis

To diagnose shoulder arthritis, the following tests are conducted:

• X-Rays
• Physical examination
• Evaluation of medical history

Treatment

Non-surgical Treatments

Activity Modification: If affected by shoulder arthritis, your orthopedist will advise you to stop practising aggressive exercises that may worsen the shoulder movement.

Physical therapy: Doing simple exercises to improve shoulder movement can reduce the tension in the joints. Mostly bone specialists suggest stretching and strengthening exercises.

Anti-inflammatory medications: NSAIDs is prescribed to control inflammation, pain and discomfort in your shoulder.

Cortisone injections: Orthopedists generally use these injections for temporary relief from the pain. However, it is not a permanent cure for shoulder arthritis.

Joint Supplements: Taking proper dietary supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin, is a great way to get some relief from the pain in the shoulder joints. But, there’s no strong evidence of its effectiveness in the condition.

Surgical Treatments

Shoulder Arthroscopy: This is a surgical method that specifically treats moderate glenohumeral arthritis. A small incision is made in your shoulder joint to pass a small tube through it with a camera and small surgical equipment attached to it. The images of the internal area help to treat the issue surgically.

Shoulder Joint Replacement: Complete replacement of the shoulder joint is suggested in case of advanced glenohumeral arthritis. In the surgery, the damaged shoulder parts are removed and replaced with artificial materials called a prosthesis. It involves further options of total shoulder arthroscopy, hemiarthroplasty, resection arthroplasty, and reverse total shoulder arthroscopy which is decided by your orthopedic surgeon based on the severity of your condition.

Post-surgery, go by the rules directed by your surgeon for the said period of time to ensure complete healing of the shoulder joint.