Well known to many people, mostly the elderly, are joint pains. They are caused by malnutrition, physical inactivity, stress, intense physical exertion, and other factors.
Very often, in the elderly and in a small percentage of young people, osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint occurs - a chronic ailment 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 abruptly worsen.
The most common symptoms are shoulder pain after a long stay in low temperatures, as well as after lifting heavy objects.
Do not self-medicate. At the first sign of illness, see a doctor.
Causes
Deforming osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint occurs due to the inflammation process that develops in the joints of the hands. Among the main causes of the appearance and development of the disease are:
- injuries (dislocations, bruises, fractures);
- excessive physical activity (tennis players, basketball players);
- malnutrition;
- the presence of bad habits;
- infection in the cup of the joint.
Arthrosis of the shoulder joint is accompanied by the process of inflammation. 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 ingrowth into the bone structure.
signs of illness
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint usually begins to appear in people over 45 years of age, since 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 lifestyle to which he adheres. Synovial fluid deficiency is one of the main causes of cartilage destruction.
The symptoms of the disease can manifest themselves in different ways: usually at first there is a slight discomfort or throbbing pain in the shoulder if a certain position is taken. The pain when taking another position usually subsides or disappears, however, if the patient does not consult a doctor to treat the initial symptoms, the disease will progress. The nature of the pain felt by a person with osteoarthritis is painful. Sometimes they are felt on the back, on the elbows or on the whole arm (in the first and second degrees, then they intensify).
The intensity of the 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. Subsequently, there is a limitation in the number of movements of the joint, which the patient consciously sets. At this time, the cartilage of the joints is destroyed, the bone processes (osteophytes) grow, which greatly complicates movement. In the last degree of the disease, the patient cannot raise the arm more than 90 degrees, since the cartilage fuses into a bone formation, which makes it impossible to move the arm.
disease grades
There are 4 degrees of this disease:
- Grade 1 is characterized by minor damage to cartilage tissue. The patient may sometimes experience unpleasant pain after holding the shoulder for a long time in one position or lifting heavy objects. At this stage, special exercises and diet can treat emerging symptoms and prevent later stages;
- Grade 2 is characterized by the appearance of osteophytes as well as joint space narrowing (shown on an x-ray). The pains in this case are more frequent and sharp;
- 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 at rest;
- Grade 4 occurs if the patient did not go to a specialist in time. At the same time, the fusion of cartilage and bone processes is detected, which makes it impossible to move the hand.
Treatment
Treatment of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint has several options, depending on the severity of the disease:
- prosthetic surgery;
- drug treatment;
- physiotherapy;
- medical and physical culture complex (LFK);
- traditional medicine;
- diet.
At an early stage of development, the disease can be successfully treated with steroid and non-steroidal drugs, as well as drugs that relieve muscle and vascular spasms. Medications help the patient to relieve pain, and also restore damaged cartilage tissue.
If the patient goes to the doctor in time, he can prescribe a therapeutic form of gymnastics. Helps increase joint mobility. At the initial stage, sometimes it is enough to perform the exercises prescribed by a specialist, and then there is no need for surgery and taking a large number of medications.
The so-called surgical methods of treatment are prescribed by a doctor if conservative methods (gymnastics, drugs) have not helped. The most famous method by which deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint can be cured is arthroplasty. At the same time, the collapsed joint will be replaced by a modern prosthesis, which is designed to perform all the functions of the shoulder joint. Prostheses are designed for several years of work. Surgical intervention is used at the last stage of the development of the disease, when it makes no sense to treat it with other methods.
Treatment of arthrosis of the shoulder joint with folk remedies, in principle, is not prohibited, but it must be approved by your doctor. It must also be compatible with other medications. But do not neglect gymnastics and other exercises. Exercise therapy can be carried out in the remission phase, and exacerbation excludes the possibility of any exercise. Wherever the patient finds the exercises, before proceeding with them, he should show them to his doctor, who will confirm or deny their health and treatment benefits. Also contraindications for 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 is raised and bent at the elbow joint so that his fingers touch the left shoulder blade. The elbow of the hand should face up. The same procedure is repeated with the right hand. In total, the exercise must be repeated 4 times;
- in the starting position, the patient's legs are shoulder-width apart, arms along the body. To begin with, the right hand is placed on the opposite shoulder and vice versa. Thus, a person hugs himself on the shoulders. At the same time, the elbows are kept as high as possible and the person's fingers should reach the shoulder blades. This exercise is performed 8 times.
Diet
The treatment of shoulder osteoarthritis is quite extensive. This also includes a diet, because sometimes being overweight causes a huge load on the joints. Statistics say 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 must also take into account the need to provide the body with the substances necessary to restore and maintain the elasticity of cartilage.
Experts, to cure deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint, recommend including 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, oatmeal or buckwheat flour. On a diet, you need to eat enough cereals (oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley), which will give you strength and energy, nourish cartilage and bones with essential trace elements.
Regarding 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. We must also pay attention to plants of the legume family, as a source of vegetable protein. Another dietary tip would be to use unrefined oil instead of refined oil. Meat and fish jelly will help restore cartilage and promote its development.