Known to many people, mainly the elderly, are joint pains. They are caused by malnutrition, physical inactivity, stress, strenuous 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 disease that causes serious deformities of the cartilage, as well as adjacent tissue and bone. There is a progressive type and the symptoms may not appear for years and then worsen significantly.
The most common symptoms are pain in the shoulders after a long stay at low temperatures, as well as after lifting heavy objects.
Do not self-medicate. At the first sign of illness, consult a doctor.
Causes
Deformative arthrosis of the shoulder joint occurs due to the inflammatory process that takes place 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 common cup.
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint is accompanied by the inflammatory process. As a result, cartilage 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 in bone structure.
Signs of the disease
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint usually begins to appear in persons over 45 years of age, as this is associated with age-related changes in the body. An important role in the symptoms plays which profession a person belongs to, what lifestyle he adheres to. Lack of synovial fluid is one of the main causes of cartilage destruction.
Symptoms of the disease can appear in different ways: usually at first there is a slight discomfort or painful pain in the shoulder if you take a certain position. The pain while taking another position usually decreases or disappears, however, if the patient does not consult a physician to treat the initial symptoms, the disease will progress. The nature of the pain that a person feels with osteoarthritis is aching. Sometimes they are felt in the back, elbows or all over the arm (in the first and second degree, then intensify).
The intensity of the disturbance may be exacerbated by changing weather conditions or by the presence of constant physical exertion. The disease in the initial stage will not bother the patient when the shoulder is at rest. Later, there is a limit to the number of ankle movements, which the patient consciously places. At this time, the cartilage of the joints is destroyed, bone processes (osteophytes) increase, which greatly complicates the movement. In the last stage of the disease, the patient can raise the arm no more than 90 degrees, as the cartilage melts into a bony formation, making it impossible for the arm to move.
Degrees of disease
There are 4 degrees of this disease:
- Grade 1 is characterized by minor cartilage tissue damage. The patient may sometimes experience uncomfortable 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 the symptoms displayed and prevent further stages;
- Grade 2 is characterized by the appearance of osteophytes, as well as narrowing of the joint space (appears on an x-ray). Pain in this case is more frequent and acute;
- Class 3 causes a decrease in the number of hand movements. X-ray shows the minimum size of the opening between the shoulder joints. The patient constantly feels excruciating pain that does not go away at rest;
- Grade 4 occurs if the patient did not timely refer to a specialist. At the same time, fusion of cartilage and bone processes is detected, which makes hand movement impossible.
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 medications, as well as with medications that relieve vascular and muscle spasms. Medications help the patient relieve pain, and also restore damaged cartilage tissue.
If the patient goes to the doctor on time, he can prescribe a therapeutic form of gymnastics. Helps increase joint mobility. In the initial stage, sometimes it is enough to perform the exercises prescribed by a specialist and then there is no need for surgery or taking a large amount of medication.
So-called methods of surgical treatment are prescribed by the doctor if conservative methods (gymnastics, medication) have not helped. The most popular method by which deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint can be treated 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 in the last stage of disease development, when it makes no sense to treat it with other methods.
Treatment of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint with folk remedies, in principle, is not prohibited, but your doctor must approve it. It should also be compatible with other medications. But do not neglect gymnastics and other exercises. Exercise therapy can be performed in the remission phase, and deterioration precludes the possibility of any exercise. Wherever the patient finds the exercises, before proceeding with them, he should tell his doctor, who will confirm or deny the health benefits and their treatment. Also contraindications to treatment with gymnastics are fever, lung disease, heart disease and other ailments.
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 toes touch the edge of the left shoulder. The elbow should face up. The same procedure 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. To begin, 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 held at the highest possible height, and the person's fingers should reach the edges of the shoulders. This exercise is performed 8 times.
diets
The treatment of shoulder osteoarthritis is quite extensive. This includes a diet because sometimes being overweight provokes a large load on the joints. Statistics say that diet helps to significantly alleviate the manifestations of osteoarthritis, as it helps reduce the patient's weight. In addition to overcoming excess weight, the diet should also take into account the need to provide the body with the substances needed to restore and maintain cartilage elasticity.
Experts, to cure deforming arthrosis of the shoulder joint, recommend the inclusion in the diet of slow carbohydrates, 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 flour, oats or buckwheat flour. In a diet, you should eat plenty of whole grains (oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley), which will give strength and energy and nourish cartilage and bones with essential trace elements.
In terms of the use of meat in the 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 the plants of the legume family, as a source of plant proteins. Another dietary tip would be to use unrefined oil instead of refined oil. Aspic from meat and fish will help restore cartilage and promote their development.