Shoulder Arthritis

How Does Shoulder Arthritis Affect Your Body? (if required)

• Decreased mobility and physical weakness
• General Tiredness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Exhaustion

What Causes Shoulder Arthritis?

Damage of the cartilage in the shoulder joint can cause shoulder arthritis. 

When the cartilage is damaged, the raw bones begin to painfully rub against each leading to inflammation. The proportion of cartilage damage inflammation varies with the type and stage of arthritis

Other causes includes

• Trauma (fracture) 
• Increased stress, e.g., overuse, overweight. 
• Avascular necrosis (loss of blood supply) 
• Infection 
• Growth abnormalities of the shoulder 
• Connective tissue disorders 

Types of Shoulder Arthritis

The most common types of arthritis are:

Osteoarthritis: 

Osteoarthritis, also called wear-and-tear arthritis, is a degenerative joint disease that affects the cartilage. The cartilage starts to wear away over time, and in extreme cases, nothing remains to protect the bones, causing painful bone-on-bone contact. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, which often occurs with advanced age, excessive strain, or another disease, injury or deformity.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is an auto-immune disease in which the body's immune system attacks healthy joints. Occurring most often in women of childbearing age (15 to 44 years), this disease inflames the lining of joints (synovium). Rheumatoid arthritis mostly affects joints of the hands and feet and tends to be symmetrical (affects the same joints on both sides of the body). With the advance effect of modern medical treatments, the rheumatoid disease is better controlled, limiting joint destruction and the need for replacement.

Symptoms of Shoulder Arthritis

Each form of arthritis affects the shoulder differently, with general symptoms including swelling and pain or tenderness for more than two weeks, redness or heat, limitation of motion and early morning stiffness. When severe, arthritis can deform or cause disability in the shoulder joint.

 In an arthritic shoulder:

• The capsule is swollen.
• The joint space is narrowed and irregular in outline.
• Bone spurs or excessive bone can also build up around the edges of the joint.

What are the Stages or Progression of Shoulder Arthritis

Shoulder arthritis usually progresses in stages.

• Stage A - the cartilage softens
• Stage B - the cartilage develops surface cracks
• Stage C - the cartilage begins to fibrillate ( deteriorate and flake)
• Stage D - the cartilage wears away to expose the bone's surface

How is Shoulder Arthritis Diagnosed

Your doctor needs to diagnose your shoulder arthritis. This is done by:

• Taking a medical history, 
• Performing a physical examination 
• Reviewing imaging of the affected region. These may include may 
• X-rays
• Computed tomography (CT) scans
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans 

Non Surgical Treatment for Shoulder Arthritis

There is no cure for arthritis, but the symptoms can be managed. 

your doctor may: 

• Prescribe pain and anti-inflammatory medicine, 
• Advise ice application on the affected region, rest
• Refer to occupational therapy or physiotherapy, for  pain management, stretches and exercises and heat treatment

Pain reduction could be also achieved by your doctor organising administering an image-guided steroid injection directly into your joint. 

Surgical Treatment for Shoulder Arthritis

In severe cases, surgery may be suggested. Common surgeries for treatment of shoulder arthritis include:

• Arthroscopy (using narrow instruments and small incisions to clean out the damaged tissue)
• Arthroplasty (replacement of the damaged joint with artificial components)