Understanding Shoulder Arthritis: Symptoms, Causes, And Treatments

Shoulder arthritis is a degenerative joint condition in which moving an arm or grasping something simple also feels painful. The cartilage in the shoulder makes the joints rub and causes pain, stiffness and loss of movement. To start with, let's understand what could be causing the arthritic symptoms in your shoulders to improve the quality of life.

What Is Shoulder Arthritis?

Shoulder arthritis involves gradual wear off of the joint cartilage that leads to the condition characterized by pain and swelling. It also lowers the range of motion. The ball-and-socket joint includes the shoulder joint and due to repeated movements, injuries, or other health issues, the cartilage gradually breaks down.

Shoulder Arthritis Symptoms

Pain In Your Shoulder Joint

Pain is the most common shoulder arthritis symptoms. It may be sharp or dull and sometimes moves down into the arm. The pain worsens with movement or with activities that involve the use of the shoulder, such as lifting, pushing or even driving.

Stiffness And Loss Of Range Of Motion

Shoulder stiffness and limited mobility also make the easiest tasks difficult. It usually prevents full lifting of the arm or circular movement of the arm. Gradually, as the cartilage continues to deteriorate, the stiffness may worsen.

Grinding, Clicking, Popping Or Cracking In Your Shoulder Joint

This symptom of arthritis in shoulder is due to the improper mobility of the joint, where two bones rub against one another instead of having a gliding smooth cartilage.

Causes of Shoulder Arthritis

Osteoarthritis

This type of arthritis in shoulder is developed when the cartilage surrounding the two bones begins to break down and leads to pain and inflammation. This degeneration often takes place mainly because of aging or injuries caused by repetitive movement of the shoulder over the years.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

One of the other causes of shoulder arthritis is this autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its own joint linings. It is accompanied by inflammation, soreness, and swelling inside the joint, leading to the breakdown of the cartilage over time.

Rotator Cuff Tear Arthropathy

A chronic rotator cuff tear can give rise to arthritis in the shoulder. Instability within the shoulder joint may lead to arthropathy (a type of arthritis), due to the increased rubbing of the joint surfaces.

Avascular Necrosis

Avascular necrosis is the cutting off of blood supply to the shoulder bone, where the tissue of the bone dies and the joint degenerates. This can lead to arthritis in shoulder, if it is not treated. Most people are affected if they have a prevailing health condition or are on high dosage of steroids.

Shoulder Arthritis Treatment

The main aim of arthritis shoulder treatment is to minimize the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. Some of the common arthritis remedies for shoulder are:

1. Medications: Pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs, including corticosteroids to manage the symptoms.

2. Physical Therapy: The physical therapist may create a special exercise program that can increase mobility and flexibility as well as increase strength.

3. Thermal and Cold Therapy: This will help relax the muscles, improve blood circulation, numb the pain and reduce inflammation.

4. Injections: Corticosteroid injections or hyaluronic acid injections reduce inflammation. Inject a lubricant into the joint to temporarily relieve the pain.

5. Surgery: Surgical intervention may be necessary only in extreme conditions like a shoulder replacement or debridement-removal of the diseased tissue.

Conclusion

Arthritis in shoulder affects the everyday life of a person. Early diagnosis and simple lifestyle changes such as exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and non-excessive strain on the shoulder can help reduce the pain. You can also try home remedies for arthritis along with three60+ Pain Relief Tablet & Gel Combo to improve mobility and flexibility in the joints of the shoulder. Incorporate this product into your routine and practice gentle exercise movements along with it to live life comfortably!

FAQs

1) How can you treat arthritis in your shoulder?

Pain relief medications, physical therapy, heat and cold therapy, injections, and even surgery can be used to treat arthritis in shoulder.

2) Is shoulder arthritis considered to be serious?

Yes, arthritis in shoulder can cause pain, discomfort, inflammation and limited mobility, which can decrease the quality of life.

3) Will massaging help with shoulder arthritis?

Massage can address some of the shoulder arthritis symptoms like increase blood flow and reduce stiffness.