Many people, especially older people, are familiar with joint pain. They are caused by malnutrition, lack of exercise, stress, heavy physical exertion and other factors.
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is common in older people and a small percentage of young people - a chronic disease that causes severe deformation of the cartilage and adjacent tissues and bones. It is of a progressive type, and symptoms may not appear for years and then become severely worse.
The most common symptoms are pain in the shoulders after a long stay in low temperatures, as well as after lifting heavy objects.
Don't treat yourself. At the first sign of illness, consult a doctor.
causes
Deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint occurs due to the inflammatory process that develops in the joints of the hands. The main causes of the onset and development of the disease include:
- injuries (dislocations, bruises, fractures);
- excessive physical activity (tennis players, basketball players);
- malnutrition;
- the presence of bad habits;
- Infection in the joint socket.
Arthrosis of the shoulder joint is accompanied by an inflammatory process. As a result, the cartilage tissue loses its properties and becomes thinner. Also, in advanced cases, the disease contributes to the deformation and even destruction of cartilage tissue, its ingrowth into the bone structure.
signs of illness
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint usually only occurs from the age of 45, as this is associated with age-related changes in the body. An important role in the symptoms is played by what occupation a person belongs to, what lifestyle he adheres to. Synovial fluid deficiency is one of the main causes of cartilage destruction.
Symptoms of the disease can manifest themselves in different ways: most often, at first there is a slight discomfort or aching pain in the shoulder when taking a certain position. Pain when changing positions usually decreases or disappears, but if the patient does not see a doctor to treat the initial symptoms, the disease will progress. The type of pain a person with osteoarthritis feels is aching. Sometimes they can be felt in the back, in the elbows or in the entire arm (in the first and second degrees, then they intensify).
The intensity of the symptoms can be increased by changing weather conditions or constant physical exertion. The disease in the initial degree will not bother the patient if the shoulder is at rest. Later, the number of movements of the joint is limited, which the patient consciously adjusts. At this time, the cartilage of the joints is destroyed, bone processes (osteophytes) grow, which greatly complicates movement. In the last degree of the disease, the patient cannot raise his arm higher than 90 degrees because the cartilage fuses into a bone structure, making it impossible to move the arm.
degree of illness
There are 4 degrees of this disease:
- Grade 1 is characterized by minor damage to the cartilage tissue. The patient can sometimes feel uncomfortable pain after holding the shoulder in one position for a long time or lifting heavy objects. At this stage, specific exercise and diet can treat emerging symptoms and prevent further stages;
- Grade 2 is characterized by the presence of osteophytes and narrowing of the joint space (shown on an X-ray). Pain in this case is more frequent and acute;
- Grade 3 causes a decrease in the number of hand movements. The X-ray shows the minimum size of the opening between the shoulder joints. The patient constantly feels aching pains that do not go away with rest;
- Grade 4 occurs when the patient does not turn to a specialist in a timely manner. At the same time, the fusion of cartilage and bone processes is recognized, which makes it impossible to move the hand.
treatment
Depending on the severity of the disease, there are several options for treating osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint:
- prosthetic surgery;
- medication;
- Physical therapy;
- medical and physical culture complex (LFK);
- traditional medicine;
- Diet.
At an early stage of development, the disease can be successfully treated with steroid and nonsteroidal drugs, as well as drugs that relieve vascular and muscle spasms. The drugs help the patient relieve pain and restore damaged cartilage tissue.
If the patient goes to the doctor in time, the latter can prescribe him a therapeutic form of gymnastics. It helps increase joint mobility. At the initial stage, sometimes it is enough to do the exercises prescribed by a specialist, and then surgery or taking large amounts of drugs will not be required.
The so-called surgical methods of treatment are prescribed by the doctor if conservative methods (gymnastics, medication) did not help. The most well-known method of healing deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint is endoprosthetics. At the same time, the collapsing joint is replaced with a modern prosthesis that is supposed to take over all the functions of the shoulder joint. Prostheses are designed to last for several years. Surgical intervention is used at the last stage of the development of the disease, when treatment with other methods makes no sense.
Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint with folk remedies is categorically not prohibited, but it must be approved by your doctor. It must also be compatible with other drugs. But do not neglect gymnastics and other exercises. Exercise therapy can be carried out in the period of remission, and an exacerbation excludes the possibility of exercise. Wherever the patient finds the exercises, before proceeding with them, he must show them to his doctor, who will confirm or deny their health benefits and treatment. Also contraindications to treatment with gymnastics are fever, lung disease, heart disease and other diseases.
Some of the most effective exercises are:
- In the starting position, the patient's legs are shoulder-width apart, the left arm rises and bends at the elbow joint so that his fingers touch the left shoulder blade. The elbow of the hand should look up. The same process is repeated with the right hand. In total, the exercise should be repeated 4 times;
- In the starting position, the patient's legs are shoulder-width apart, arms along the body. First, the right hand is placed on the opposite shoulder and vice versa. This is how a person hugs in the shoulders. At the same time, the elbows are kept as high as possible, and the person's fingers should reach for the shoulder blades. This exercise is done 8 times.
diet
The treatment of shoulder arthrosis is quite extensive. This also includes a diet, because sometimes being overweight puts a lot of strain on the joints. Statistics say that the diet helps to significantly relieve the manifestations of arthrosis, as it helps reduce the patient's weight. In addition to overcoming excess weight, nutrition should also take into account the need to provide the body with the substances necessary to restore and maintain cartilage elasticity.
Experts recommend in order to cure the deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint, include slow carbohydrates in the diet, replacing them with fast ones. This means that flour products can be eaten, but products made from white flour (wheat, corn) should be abandoned in favor of products made from rye, oat or buckwheat flour. When dieting, you should eat enough grains (oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley), which give strength and energy, and provide cartilage and bones with essential trace elements.
As for the use of meat in a diet, chicken, rabbit and other low-calorie meats should be included in the diet. At the same time, high-calorie pork and lamb should be avoided. Meat and vegetables should be stewed, boiled or stewed, but not fried. You also need to look out for plants in the legume family as a source of plant-based protein. Another diet tip would be to use unrefined oil instead of refined oil. Aspic from meat and fish helps restore cartilage and promotes its development.