Everything you Need to Know about Shoulder Arthritis Treatment

The shoulder is one of those joints in your body that enjoys the maximum wear and tear by virtue of being an extremely mobile joint and one of the most over-worked as well. This increases the risk of dislocation and instability. Arthritis is one of the most common causes of pain, as per various medical reports and is usually found to affect the tendons, ligaments, and even the muscles and joints of the body due to excessive wear and tear. There are various kinds of shoulder arthritis and treatments that are available. Read on to find out more.

1. Rheumatoid Arthritis: This autoimmune condition creates stiffness in the shoulders along with rheumatoid nodules or small bumps under the skin of this region. It may affect both shoulders at the same time. Swelling or inflammation of the joints is a common occurrence in this condition along with fever, fatigue and weight loss.

2. Osteoarthritis: This form of arthritis basically has to do with wear and tear of the connective tissue and bones. The symptoms are pretty severe and can go from tenderness to pain and stiffness with an increased risk of bone fractures.

3. Post Traumatic Arthritis: PA or post traumatic arthritis occurs due to an injury in the shoulder and can cause instability as well as dislocation of the shoulder. A sports injury is the most common cause of this kind of arthritis. Pain and inflammation are the most common outcomes of this kind of injury and arthritis.

4. Avascular Necrosis: When the tissues of the shoulder joints go through damage, it leads to this form of arthritis. Joint dislocations and fractures are the most common causes of this kind of damage. This usually happens because blood flow does not happen over the long arm bone to reach the shoulders due to the damage rendered to the tissue. Excessive alcohol consumption and high steroid intake can also lead to this damage.

5. Rotator Cuff Tear Arthropathy: This kind of arthritis is caused due to a rip in the shoulder cuffs.

Treatment Measures-

The most common forms of treatment include surgery like joint replacement surgery (replacing the damaged parts of the shoulder with an artificial prosthetic joint), Arthroscopy (cleaning out of the joint with minor incisions), and resection arthroplasty (removing the bone from one’s collarbone). Also, corticosteroid injections can be given and anti-inflammation drugs like ibuprofen can be prescribed for this condition. Exercises and physical therapy will also be helpful in such cases so as to strengthen the shoulder and joints.

It is important to also make lifestyle changes to give rest to the shoulder and abstain from too much alcohol consumption.