Joint pain is well known to many people, mainly older people. They are caused by malnutrition, physical inactivity, stress, intense physical exertion and other factors.
Quite often, in older people and in a small percentage of young people, arthrosis of the shoulder joint occurs - a chronic disease that causes severe deformations of the cartilage, as well as adjacent tissues and bones. It has a progressive type, and symptoms may not appear for years, and then sharply worsen.
The most common symptoms are pain in the shoulders after a long stay at low temperatures, as well as after lifting heavy objects.
Don't self-medicate. At the first sign of illness, consult a doctor.
causes
Deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint is due to the inflammatory process that develops in the joints of the hands. Among the main causes of the onset and development of the disease are:
- injuries (dislocations, bruises, fractures);
- excessive physical activity (tennis players, basketball players);
- malnutrition;
- the presence of bad habits;
- joint cup infection.
Arthrosis of the shoulder joint is accompanied by an inflammatory process. As a result, the cartilaginous tissue loses its properties and becomes thinner. Also, the disease in advanced cases contributes to the deformation and even destruction of cartilage tissue, its growth into the bone structure.
Signs of disease
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint usually begins to appear in people over the age of 45, as it is associated with age-related changes in the body. An important role in the symptoms is played by the profession to which a person belongs, the way of life to which he adheres. Synovial fluid deficiency is one of the main causes of cartilage destruction.
Symptoms of the disease can manifest themselves in different ways: usually at first there is a slight discomfort or aching pain in the shoulder if it takes a certain position. The pain when taking another position usually subsides or disappears, however, if the patient does not consult a doctor to treat the first symptoms, the disease will progress. The nature of pain experienced by a person with osteoarthritis is painful. Sometimes they are felt in the back, elbows or in the whole arm (in the first and second degree, then they intensify).
The intensity of discomfort can be exacerbated by changing weather conditions or the presence of constant physical exertion. The disease in the initial degree will not bother the patient when the shoulder is at rest. Later there is a limitation in the number of movements of the joint, which the patient consciously sets. At this time, the cartilage in the joints is destroyed, bone processes (osteophytes) develop, which greatly complicates movement. In the last degree of the disease, the patient cannot raise the arm more than 90 degrees, because the cartilage fuses into a bony formation, making it impossible to move the arm.
Degrees of disease
There are 4 degrees of this disease:
- Grade 1 is characterized by minor cartilage tissue damage. The patient may sometimes experience unpleasant pain after holding the shoulder in one position for a long time or lifting heavy objects. At this stage, special exercises and diet can treat emerging symptoms and prevent further stages;
- Grade 2 is characterized by the presence of osteophytes, as well as narrowing of the joint space (shown on an x-ray). The 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 experiences aching pains that do not go away at rest;
- Grade 4 occurs if the patient did not turn to a specialist in time. At the same time, the fusion of cartilaginous and bone processes is detected, which makes it impossible to move the hand.
Processing
Treatment of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint has several options, depending on the severity of the disease:
- prosthetic surgery;
- medical treatment;
- physiotherapy;
- complex of medical and physical culture (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. Medicines help the patient relieve pain and restore damaged cartilage tissue.
If the patient goes to the doctor in time, he can prescribe a therapeutic form of gymnastics. It helps to increase joint mobility. At the initial stage, it is sometimes enough to perform the exercises prescribed by a specialist, then it is not necessary to undergo surgery or take a large amount of medication.
The so-called surgical methods of treatment are prescribed by a doctor if conservative methods (gymnastics, drugs) have not helped. The most well-known method of curing deforming osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is arthroplasty. At the same time, the collapsing joint will be replaced with a modern prosthesis, designed to perform all the functions of the shoulder joint. The prostheses are designed for several years of work. Surgical intervention is used at the last stage of the development of the disease, when it does not make sense to treat with other methods.
Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint with folk remedies is in principle not prohibited, but your doctor must approve it. It must also be compatible with other drugs. But do not neglect gymnastics and other exercises. Exercise therapy can be performed during the remission phase, and the exacerbation rules out the possibility of any exercise. Wherever the patient finds the exercises, before practicing them, he must show them to his doctor, who will confirm or refute their health benefits and their treatment. Contraindications to treatment with gymnastics are also fever, lung disease, heart disease and other diseases.
Some of the most effective exercises are:
- in the initial 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 procedure is repeated with the right hand. In total, the exercise should be repeated 4 times;
- in the initial position, the patient's legs are shoulder-width apart, arms along the body. To start, the right hand is placed on the opposite shoulder and vice versa. Thus, a person squeezes in the shoulders. At the same time, the elbows are kept at the highest possible height, and the person's fingers should reach the shoulder blades. This exercise is performed 8 times.
Diet
Treatment for shoulder osteoarthritis is quite extensive. This also includes a diet, because sometimes being overweight causes a significant load on the joints. Statistics indicate that the diet helps to significantly alleviate the manifestations of arthrosis, as it helps to reduce the weight of the patient. In addition to overcoming excess weight, the diet should also take into account the need to provide the body with the necessary substances to restore and maintain the elasticity of cartilage.
Experts, in order to cure deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint, recommend including slow carbohydrates in the diet, replacing them with fast carbohydrates. This means that flour products can be eaten, but white flour products (wheat, corn) should be abandoned in favor of rye, oat or buckwheat flour products. On a diet, you need to eat enough cereals (oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley), which will give strength and energy, and nourish 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 present in the diet. At the same time, high-calorie pork and lamb should be abandoned. Meat and vegetables should be steamed, boiled or stewed, but not fried. You should also pay attention to plants from the legume family, as a source of vegetable protein. Another diet tip would be to use unrefined oil instead of refined oil. Meat and fish aspic will help restore cartilage and promote its development.