Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis.
It most commonly affects people older than 45 and is more common if you are overweight, have a family history of it, or have previously injured the joint in question.
Osteoarthritis has varying impact on function, activity and quality of life. Contrary to popular belief it does not affect everyone as you get older and does not necessarily get worse with age.
Everyone’s joints go through a normal cycle of damage and repair during their lifetime, but sometimes the body’s process to repair our joints can cause changes in their shape or structure. When these changes happen in one or more of your joints, it’s known as osteoarthritis. The cartilage in the joints around your shoulder may thin and the surfaces of the joint may become rougher, which means that the shoulder doesn’t move as smoothly as it should, and it might feel painful and stiff.
Video: What is Osteoarthritis?
There’s no cure for osteoarthritis, but there are things you can do for yourself that can make a difference to how the condition affects you and could significantly reduce your pain.
Joints need to be exercised regularly to keep them healthy. It’s very important to keep moving if you have osteoarthritis of the shoulder, as exercise can help maintain the range of movement and strengthen the muscles around your shoulder all of which can reduce the symptoms and pain of osteoarthritis.
Various type of exercises proven to help treat osteoarthritis of the shoulder include range of movement exercises, strengthening exercises & aerobic exercises- start slowly, build up the exercise gradually and a small increase in your pain when you start can be normal.
Activity is encouraged, although adaptation is important. At times, repetitive activities might need to be scaled back. Instead, introduce activities that allow your symptoms to recover but keep you active.
See Versus Arthritis for more detail and for links to self-management tips and exercises.
If your symptoms continue after trying the advice above, you should seek further advice from a healthcare practitioner.
Osteoarthritis can be painful, but most people are able to continue their general activities by following simple management advice. If your pain or limited movement is impacting significantly on your ability to carry out your usual activities, your quality of life or your wellbeing, please speak to a physiotherapist or other healthcare practitioner for further support, advice and to consider other options for management of your condition.
An injection directly into the shoulder joint may help reduce swelling and pain. For more information visit the NHS website.
If conservative treatment hasn’t worked for you and your pain is very severe then you may benefit from referral to an orthopaedic shoulder surgeon for further assessment and to discuss any surgical options.