Shoulder osteoarthritis is a natural degenerative process where the cartilage that spaces a joint start to change and over time thin, meaning the bones gets closer together, and can occur in any joint in the body. Osteoarthritis is a part of the normal ageing process and is most commonly seen in people over the age of 40.
Shoulder Osteoarthritis can also be caused by injury, your occupation or your sporting hobbies. For example jobs which require heavy over head repetitive movements such as painters or plasterers or sports such as volleyball and badminton can contribute to future osteoarthritis. Past injury/trauma to your shoulder such as a fracture, dislocation, infection or rotator cuff tear can also influence osteoarthritis.
The most common symptoms of shoulder OA are:
- Limited function in daily tasks
- Pain
- Reduced movement of the shoulder joint
- Pain is worse with or after activity
- Stiffness worse with inactivity
- Symptoms can flare or settle with changing seasons
Diagnosis is usually made from a consultation with your Health Care Professional, involving a detailed history of the onset of symptoms, current pattern of symptoms and your current functional ability.
An X-Ray is generally not needed to confirm osteoarthritis. One may be performed if the Health Care Professional needs further information to finalise the diagnosis or if surgery is being considered.
The primary aim of treatment is to help manage your pain. This allows you to move more and help you return to normal activities sooner. Initial treatment therefore is aimed at pain control. This might involve pain medication, or the use of heat or cold treatments.
Once your pain is under control, working on the movement and strength of your shoulder is what will help long term.
You can help to reduce pain, ease stiffness, strengthen your muscles and improve overall general fitness by keeping active. Below are some basic exercises specific to your shoulder to get you started.
It is normal to experience some discomfort when doing exercises, and individuals may start at different points. Pain should not increase excessively during or immediately after the activity. Discomfort should return to pre-activity levels 24-48 hours after the activity has finished.
The number (reps) and frequency (sets) of exercises suggested here are a guide, and should be performed to your personal tolerable pain levels. This means repetitions will vary between individuals and you should only go as far as is reasonably comfortable for you.
Isometric shoulder flexion
Sit or stand up straight facing a wall. Keep your affected arm by your side and bend your elbow to 90 degrees. Place your fist against the wall. Without moving your body, press your fist into the wall. Hold this position and then relax.
Isometric shoulder external rotation
Sit or stand up straight next to a wall. Keep your affected arm by your side and bend your elbow to 90 degrees. Place the back of your wrist against the wall. Without moving your body, press your wrist into the wall as if turning your forearm outwards. Hold this position and then relax.
Pendular exercises
Lean onto a table with your good arm, letting your affected arm dangle forwards in front of you. Using gentle movements of the body, let this arm swing backwards, forwards, side to side, and in circles. The more you lean your body forwards, the more you will exercise the arm.
Unless you have a serious injury or have sudden continuous severe pain, you can usually treat your shoulder pain without having to see your doctor. If after 2 weeks of treating yourself you feel the pain isn’t any better or is worsening, you should see a Health Care Professional
You should also see a Health Care Professional if you:
- Have pain that doesn’t show any signs of improvement, within a couple of weeks of self help
- Have pain that has rapidly deteriorated or suddenly worsened despite self help
- Have pain, tingling, numbness or weakness in your face or arms
- Develop sudden stiffness in the shoulders and/or neck resulting in a lack of movement
- Are experiencing double vision, dizziness, nausea or sudden fainting
- Are noticing changes with your speech and/or difficulty swallowing
- Are noticing changes to your balance or walking pattern
- Are feeling clumsy or are falling more often
- Have a history of inflammatory arthritis, immuno-suppression, cancer, Tuberculosis (TB), drug abuse, AIDS or other infection
- Feel unwell, have a fever, or unexplained weight loss
- Are experiencing significant and regular changes to your usual sleeping pattern
- Have a history of recent injury (e.g. from a road traffic accident or a fall) or a history of shoulder surgery
- Have a new and visible deformed or misshapen shoulder
If you do not have any of the above, you may be able to effectively self manage your condition