Osteoarthritis of the Shoulders (Shoulder Osteoarthritis) | Cause, symptoms, prevention and treatment

Osteoarthritis of the shoulders means joint wear in the shoulder and the shoulder capsule. Osteoarthritis of the shoulders can cause pain, pain and reduced mobility - which, among other things, can make it difficult to lift the arms above shoulder height. The diagnosis can, in many cases, be kept in check by physical treatment, strength training and stretching of the joint capsule, as well as the associated muscles and tendons.

Shoulder arthritis involves the breakdown of cartilage and bone tissue in the shoulder joint capsule, the head of the upper arm and the acromioclavicular joint (the area where the collar bone meets the shoulder).

Good tip: Further down in the article, we show you a video with good exercise exercises, which is adapted for you who suffer from shoulder osteoarthritis.

Also read: The 5 Stages of Kneartrose

Osteoarthritis is divided into five stages. Read more about it in the article above.

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In the article, we will review:

• Symptoms of osteoarthritis of the shoulders

• The cause of osteoarthritis of the shoulders

• Self-measures against shoulder osteoarthritis

• Prevention of osteoarthritis of the shoulders and shoulder joints

• Treatment of osteoarthritis of the shoulders

• Diagnosis of osteoarthritis

In this article you will learn more about shoulder osteoarthritis and the causes, symptoms, prevention, self-measures and treatment of this clinical condition.

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Symptoms of Osteoarthritis of the Shoulders

It is a fact that almost none of us interpret pain in the same way - and thus it is the case that shoulder pain and symptoms the individual experiences can involve great variations. Some people can walk around with severe and significant arthritis without a whiff of pain, and another may have hurt even in mild osteoarthritis. That being said, it is often the case that the pain one experiences corresponds to the stage of osteoarthritis and wear in the shoulders.

Joint wear is categorized into five different stages. Namely, you divide osteoarthritis from stage 0 (no osteoarthritis or joint wear) to stage 4 (advanced, significant osteoarthritis and wear). The various stages give an indication of how much cartilage is broken down in the joints and how large the joint wear is. You can read more about the different stages of osteoarthritis here .

Characteristic symptoms and clinical signs on shoulder osteoarthritis may include:

• Headache may occur on the front or outside of the shoulder
• Buttoning and cracking of the shoulder joint by movement
• Light or clear swelling of the affected joint
• Local pressure relief over the shoulder joint
• Redness of the affected joints
• Wear of a more serious degree can cause it to hurt your shoulders
• Painful to sleep on the affected shoulder
• Increase in the occurrence of compensatory pain in the neck, forearms and hands

Shoulders affected by osteoarthritis may also cause an increase in forearm pain, neck pain and tendon inflammation in the elbow (tennis elbow). Improper movement patterns and reduced mobility often lead to less use and less blood circulation - which in turn helps to aggravate the main problem. There is also a close connection between sore shoulders and an increased incidence of neck pain (including the "popular" diagnosis of stress neck).

Why are the shoulders extra stiff and sore on the mornings?

When you sleep or sit still, you have less circulation of blood circulation and synovial fluid than when you are moving - that is why you are stiffer at the beginning of the morning and after you have sat still. But, as you know, you did not have this before - so it is also an indication that your shoulders are not in top shape in terms of mobility and general health. It is therefore relatively common to be stiff in the morning, but may indicate that you have certain problems with muscles and joints that should be investigated and treated.

Read more: - What You Should Know About Stress Neck and Tight Neck Muscles

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Osteoarthritis can lead to calcifications in the joint capsule, outer collarbone and head of the upper arm (humerus)

In the absence of movement and circulation, the aging process in the shoulder joint will go faster - and when the cartilage between the various joints in the shoulder breaks down, repair processes will occur from the body in an attempt to make up for the damage. These processes also involve the deposition of bone tissue in the affected areas - which in turn leads to calcifications and bone spurs.

Calcifications in the tendons and in the shoulder joint are visible on X-ray examinations and provide a basis for saying how extensive your osteoarthritis is. When there are visible, larger bone balls in the shoulder joint, this is a clear indication that there is relatively advanced osteoarthritis of a later stage. But it can also be only in the tendon itself - the latter is called for lime shoulder.

Why does it squeeze in my shoulder when I raise my arm above shoulder height?

In the case of osteoarthritis and joint wear, calcification can occur in the joint itself. These bone spurs and limescale build-ups can lead to the shoulder joint no longer moving nicely and neatly - and that you can almost feel, from time to time, that the head of the upper arm hits something inside the shoulder cup itself in certain movements. Clenching and crunching in the shoulder is a clear sign that it is time to do something about your shoulder problems.

Read more: - How To Release Muscle Tensions In The Neck And Shoulder

Sore muscles in the shoulders and neck? Address the problem today and begin with the exercises shown in the article above.

Cause: Why should one get osteoarthritis in the shoulders?

The shoulder joint is a complex structure, but that doesn't mean that the reason why you get osteoarthritis needs to be just as complex. Joint wear occurs when the loads are higher than the body's ability to relieve and repair. Easily. Ideally, you would have such strong stability muscles that they could relieve the joints from getting any wear and tear at all - but unfortunately it is difficult to get enough stability training in an already hectic everyday life.

As we get older, normal wear and tear and osteoarthritis will occur due to everyday wear and tear loads. Higher age also results in a weaker ability to repair cartilage and joints. The most common causes of faster occurrence of shoulder osteoarthritis are repetitive strain and shoulder injury.

It has been seen that these risk factors in particular give a higher chance of osteoarthritis:

• That you are a woman
• A job that involves a lot of repetitive strain
• Family history of osteoarthritis
• Higher age
• Trauma or rupture

Thus, some of the most common risk factors for developing shoulder osteoarthritis involve overloading without adequate restitution, family history of joint problems and previous shoulder injuries. It has also been thoroughly documented that fractures and injuries to the joints lead to earlier osteoarthritis and a faster aging process.

Self-measures and Prevention of Osteoarthritis in the Shoulders

If you want to take an active approach to prevention and to reduce the aging process in the shoulder joints then this is absolutely possible. By strengthening the muscles in the shoulders, shoulder blades, neck and upper back, the joints can be relieved, as well as improved blood circulation and maintenance.

For everyday lifts and loads, everything you lift and load should go through the shoulders and shoulder joint - and with that in mind, it is no wonder that it is extremely important to have good and functional shoulders if you want to prevent joint wear. Is that right? Below you can see a training program that shows you strength exercises for the shoulders with training knit. Exercise with elastic is the only way you can get the load from the right angle and training load.

By exercising both strength in nearby muscles, as well as performing regular exercise exercises, you can maintain good blood circulation and muscular elasticity. We recommend that you try to do these, or similar, exercises several times a week - and preferably daily for maximum effect. For those of you who train a lot of strength, they are also excellent activation exercises before a heavier strength session.

VIDEO: Strength Exercises for the Shoulders with Elastic

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Recommended Self-Help for Rheumatic and Chronic Pain

• Compression Noise (such as compression socks that contribute to increased blood circulation to sore muscles or specially adapted compression gloves against rheumatic symptoms in the hands)

Click on the image to read more about compression gloves.

• Toe pullers (can help maintain space between the toes - and prevent bent toes)
• Mini tapes (many with rheumatic and chronic pain feel that it is easier to train with custom elastics)
• Trigger point Balls (self-help to work the muscles on a daily basis)
• Arnica cream or heat conditioner (many people report some pain relief if they use, for example, arnica cream or heat conditioner)

- Many people use arnica cream for pain due to stiff joints and sore muscles. Click on the image above to read more about how arnica cream can help relieve some of your pain situation.

Read more: - How Yoga Can Relieve Fibromyalgia And Chronic Pain

Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Shoulders

There are several treatments that can give you symptom relief and functional improvement. Something you should start with today is daily strength and stretching exercises to maintain functionality and strengthen blood circulation. You can see more examples of good workouts for your shoulders through our YouTube channel (the link opens in a new window).

Here is an example of exercises that are recommended if you have tight shoulders - a condition better known as squeezing syndrome or shoulder impingement syndrome.

VIDEO: Exercises Against Shoulder Impairment Syndrome (Clamping Syndrome in the Shoulders)

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Physical Treatment

Manual treatment, including joint mobilization and muscular work, has a well-documented effect on osteoarthritis and its symptoms. Physical treatment should be performed by a public health professional. In Norway, this means physiotherapist, modern chiropractor or manual therapist.

Many people are surprised that research shows that such treatment of muscles and joints is actually more effective than exercise (1) when it comes to reducing pain and providing improved function in osteoarthritis. Then think about how effective such treatment in combination with home exercises can be? Modern chiropractors treat both muscles and joints, as well as instructing in home exercises to give you long-lasting recovery. If you have extensive osteoarthritis and are struggling with traditional exercise, we also highly recommend training in hot water pool.

Physical therapy may also consist of laser therapy, Shockwave Therapy and needle treatment.

Diet with high antioxidant content

It has been seen that a diet that has a high content of anti-inflammatory (anti-inflammatory) nutritional values ​​can help reduce inflammation of the joints and prevent unnecessary joint destruction. «Fibromyalgia diet»Is an excellent starting point for you who want to learn more about this.

Also read: - Everything You Need to Know About the Fibromyalgia Diet

More movement in everyday life

Do you have a job that gives you a lot of repetition and static load? Then we strongly recommend that you be extra careful to get enough movement and blood circulation. Join a training group, go for a walk with a friend or do home exercises - the most important thing is that you do something you like and thus manage to motivate yourself to more movement in everyday life.

Shockwave Therapy

Pressure wave therapy involves a pressure wave machine with its associated probe which, hence the name, sends thousands of targeted pressure pulses into the injured area. These pressure waves break down damage tissue and limescale and trigger thousands of controlled small injuries in the treated region. The treatment has a well-documented effect on lime shoulder, heel spurs and tennis elbow. Read more about the treatment here .

Also read: - 6 Early Signs of Osteoarthritis

Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis of the Shoulders

Osteoarthritis is often diagnosed through a combination of history-taking, clinical examination and imaging (usually X-ray). To see the extent of joint wear, you must take an X-ray - as this shows bone tissue in the very best way. Such an imaging study will be able to visualize calcifications and cartilage damage.

You may be referred to an X-ray examination by a modern chiropractor or physician. Such imaging tests should be performed by radiographers and radiologists - and not by the person you have consulted for help. If you have seen a clinician who has his own X-ray machine in the back room, it is best to go somewhere else.

If you are bothered with symptoms that may be reminiscent of osteoarthritis then we suggest that you bring it up with your GP for a review. Finding out the extent of osteoarthritis itself can also give a clear indication of what you should do about self-measures and prevention, as well as treatment at a publicly licensed clinic. We remind you that physical therapy in combination with exercise has a very good effect in relieving symptoms and providing you with functional improvement.

Also read: - 7 Symptoms of Fibromyalgia in Women

Summarizeringing

You can slow the development of osteoarthritis with the right measures, exercise and manual treatment. We especially recommend starting with strength training for the shoulders to contribute to healthy joints, improved blood circulation and healthy muscle.

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NEXT PAGE: - The 5 Stages of Kneartrose (How Aggravated Osteoarthritis worsens)

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