Shoulder Joint Pain Can Be A Sign Of Arthritis

Information about shoulder arthritis. Learn what it is and effective treatment methods.

By now, most people are highly familiar with that old curse of the joints known as arthritis. This is a condition that many dread and if you have pain on your shoulder then you may wonder if this is what is bringing it on. The truth is, yes there can times when shoulder joint pain does indicate arthritis, but before you decide this is what your particular pains mean, it would be a smart idea to take a look at this condition and learn more about it. Often, you can find ways to be able to improve your health and your doctor can help. The most important thing is educating you and finding out what you can do to make this pain recede as much as possible.

What is Shoulder Arthritis and What Does It Indicate?

Arthritis is a condition that a strike in any of the body’s joints, being most common in the spine, knees, hips and, of course, the shoulders. With arthritis, there is a breakdown of the crucial cartilage that covers the joint at the end of the body’s bones. The cartilage may begin to come off in small amounts, making the joint itself stiff and extremely painful. The tissue that lines the joint, known as synovium, then begins to become overgrown. You may then have shoulder joint pain caused by spurs that develop around the edges of the joint and get rubbed off into the joint itself. There are different types of arthritis that shoulder joint pain can be an indicator for. Most arthritis is going to be from wear and tear, but other types can actually come from a disease that is degenerative or from rheumatoid arthritis, another version of this condition. Depending on your activity level, this could cause extreme pain, but not all people experience shoulder arthritis the same way.

Who is Most Likely to Develop Shoulder Arthritis?

Most people who do end up having shoulder arthritis are those in their middle years or who are getting on towards their elderly years. Any person of any age can technically develop a form of arthritis, but this is not common. Younger people who experience shoulder joint pain do not actually have arthritis and a doctor will generally end up confirming this if they go in for a checkup.

What Types of Treatment Are There for Shoulder Joint Pain From Arthritis

While blood work is sometimes done to determine whether or not arthritis is present, X-rays are the normal method for diagnosing this kind of condition. For those that are experiencing shoulder joint pain, doctors can do a number of things. In some instances, medication may be seen as the best possible course of action, with a rheumatologist being the specialist doctor you end up being referred to. In other instances, physical therapy could be seen as a way to treat this condition and a person might end up being told to try out hydrotherapy as a way to get back their range of motion since this is a therapy that does not place a lot of stress on the joints. When mild water workouts do not resolve the issue, it could be time to consider an operative procedure to try and get you back on track. There are procedures where a surgeon will go in and clean out the cartilage that is not functioning as it should and these can help, but there could be a chance that you relapse later. Other possible choices involve replacing the joint in the shoulder itself.

Could a Total Shoulder Replacement Be Necessary?

Getting a brand new shoulder is a huge decision and only your doctor can truly advise this. However, for those who need to go this route, it can make a miracle happen and relieve pain in a way that no other procedure can. This is definitely a huge consideration and if the surgery is a success, quite a lot of physical therapy is going to be needed in order for the patient to fully regain their range of motion and live virtually pain-free.

Remember Not All Shoulder Joint Pain is Arthritis Related

Finally, do bear in mind that simply because one is experiencing pain, even severe pain in one’s shoulder joint does not necessarily indicate that arthritis is present. A large number of other injuries and diseases can affect the shoulder so this is why we need a diagnosis from a real doctor in order to know for sure what is going on with our shoulder joint if we experience pain.

Shoulder Joint Pain Can Be A Sign Of Arthritis. Last Updated: 5/12/2017