Of course, the prevalence of wear and tear in the shoulder joint is much less compared to other joints such as the knee or spine. Wear and tear is a disease that occurs over time and gradually, and as a result of constant pressure on the joint, the cartilage tissue of the joint is gradually damaged and the joint space becomes thinner and thinner, and finally the tissue under the cartilage, which contains many pain receptors. It is exposed to damage and pressure and joint pains appear.
Symptoms: It includes reducing the range of motion of the joint, so that the person will no longer be able to easily raise his hand or behind his back, and these movements will be accompanied by pain and the sound of rubbing the joint surfaces (crepitation) on each other.
Diagnosis: In the first step, physical examinations and then the use of imaging methods such as simple radiography of the shoulder joint can help us in diagnosing the disease.
treatment:- Anti-inflammatory drugs or massage drugs can help control and reduce pain, or drugs that affect the pain cycle, such as SSRI drugs and anticonvulsants, etc.
- Performing special exercises that put less pressure on the joint (isometric exercise) in order to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder girdle, stretching exercises can also play a significant role in controlling the disease.
- Changing lifestyle and avoiding activities that put pressure on the shoulder joint.
- Physiotherapy modalities can also be part of the treatment.
- Interventional pain management may be considered in cases where the previous steps are not effective in controlling pain. Methods such as intra-articular injections (steroid or ozone), suprascapular nerve block by steroid injection or radiofrequency waves.
- In very severe cases, surgery and joint replacement may be treatment options.
Author: Dr. Hossein Arjamand