Shoulder Joint Inflammation

Shoulder joint inflammation (periarthritis humeroscapularis) is a degenerative disease of the shoulder or the shoulder girdle. A typical sign is above all a restriction of mobility in the shoulder area and severe pain. The causes are varied, but can be treated well by a doctor.

Shoulder Joint Inflammation

What is shoulder joint inflammation?

The human shoulder joint is a more or less complicated musculoskeletal system. The shoulder joint is the central joint that controls the movement of the arm attached to it. Shoulder joint inflammation is a serious musculoskeletal disorder. Shoulder joint inflammation can have a variety of causes. See bestitude for Meanings of Hunter Glossitis.

The harmonious interaction of bones, joints, tendons and muscles is significantly impaired by shoulder joint inflammation. Accompanied by severe to severe pain, shoulder joint inflammation leads to massive restrictions in movement. In the case of shoulder joint inflammation, the person will put their arm and shoulder in a relieving position. This happens more instinctively than consciously. Due to the relieving posture, due to shoulder joint inflammation, it is not uncommon for the tendons and muscle strands to shorten.

Causes

The causes of shoulder joint inflammation can be very complex. A chronic disease can also be a cause of shoulder joint inflammation. Rheumatic diseases in particular often promote inflammation of the shoulder joint. With increasing age, calcium can also build up in the joints. The friction of calcified plates in the shoulder joint can quickly lead to inflammation of the shoulder joint. Long before the severe pain, the affected person feels a restriction of mobility.

Any inflammation in a person’s body, including shoulder joint inflammation, can be detected in the laboratory at an early stage. A significant increase in leukocytes, i.e. white blood cells, indicates that something is wrong in the body. Long-term one-sided stress on the shoulder joint can also promote shoulder joint inflammation. But mostly it is the work of the people that is responsible for the development of joint inflammation. For example, working in the cold store without protective thermal clothing, but also wrong movements, can lead to the very painful shoulder joint inflammation.

Symptoms, Ailments & Signs

An existing shoulder joint inflammation causes a severe impairment of movement, so that affected persons are severely restricted in their everyday life. In the first stage of this disease, the symptoms appear only at night. Affected people complain of severe pain at night, so that sleep is significantly disturbed. In the second phase, the pain subsides significantly.

However, there is a strong impairment of the movement. Affected people often adopt a relieving posture, so that the entire musculature weakens and weakens. In the last phase, the pain in the shoulder decreases. The symptoms subside significantly, so that those affected can move their shoulders freely and without pain again.

Anyone who completely avoids medical treatment for an inflammation in the shoulder is taking a very large risk. In such a case, the symptoms will become much worse, so that pain will occur even when you are completely retired. However, if the affected persons decide to take medication and medical treatment, then the symptoms that occur can be treated very well and effectively. Pain can be relieved by taking medication so that there is not such a severe restriction of movement.

Complications

If the shoulder joint inflammation takes a chronic course, various complications can occur. Arthrosis can then develop in the shoulder joint, which requires lengthy treatment. Anyone who is affected by such joint inflammation usually also feels severe shoulder pain and can only move the affected arm to a limited extent. As a result, those affected adopt a relieving posture and perform compensatory movements – both of which can cause new pain and promote wear and tear on the joints.

Sometimes there is also swelling in the shoulder area, which can become inflamed and cause side effects such as fever and skin irritation. In the case of inflammation that persists over a longer period of time, psychological complications cannot be ruled out. Depending on the treatment method chosen, the treatment of shoulder joint inflammation can be associated with surgical problems, side effects and drug interactions, or bruising and muscle soreness.

Serious complications can only be expected if the person concerned has an unrecognized previous illness or if the prescribed medication causes interactions. If, for example, a cardiovascular disease is present, the untested administration of cortisone preparations can cause significant cardiac arrhythmias. Sometimes the pain can come back even after the treatment.

When should you go to the doctor?

Shoulder joint inflammation should always be treated by a doctor. Self-healing cannot occur here, so that the affected person is always dependent on medical treatment by a doctor. The life expectancy of those affected is usually not limited by the shoulder joint inflammation. A doctor should be consulted for shoulder joint inflammation if the patient suffers from severe limitations in movement. The shoulders in particular can no longer be moved properly.

In most cases, severe pain in the shoulders also indicates shoulder joint inflammation, although the pain can also spread to neighboring regions of the body. The sleep of those affected is often disturbed by the pain. Furthermore, a weakened musculature of the patient can indicate shoulder joint inflammation and should be examined by a doctor, especially after an accident or an injury. First and foremost, an orthopedist or a general practitioner can be consulted. Further treatment then depends on the severity of the symptoms.

Treatment & Therapy

The treatment of shoulder joint inflammation requires the immediate help of a specialist. The specialists in whose practices joint inflammation is treated can be orthopedists and surgeons. Basically, shoulder joint inflammation must be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. In the early stages of shoulder joint inflammation, this can be an oral medication that can treat and eliminate both the pain and the inflammation.

In the case of a severely advanced shoulder joint inflammation, on the other hand, oral medication is usually not sufficient. In this case, medication containing cortisone is injected into the shoulder joint. Since such treatment is extremely painful, the specialist will first immobilize the inflamed shoulder joint with an anesthetic. In most cases it is lidocaine or a similar narcotic.

The injections, which fight the inflammation on the spot, are only given in the anesthetized shoulder joint. Causal diseases such as lime deposits are also treated with medication afterwards. Laser therapy can also help to heal shoulder joint inflammation.

Prevention

The question of whether shoulder joint inflammation can be prevented is not so easy to answer. Certainly, prevention can only lie in avoiding certain forced postures. But there is also a great opportunity to counteract the occurrence of shoulder joint inflammation. Anyone who has to work in a forced position that can put a strain on the shoulder joint definitely needs a balance.

This balance must be in movements that relieve the shoulder and the shoulder joint. It doesn’t have to be anything grand. It can be a light shoulder gymnastics during the work break and a corresponding sporting activity in the free time. Of course, patients should also notice the disturbances in the shoulder, which usually appear before the shoulder joint inflammation, and see a doctor immediately.

Aftercare

In the case of shoulder joint inflammation, in most cases the patient has only very few and only very limited direct follow-up measures available. For this reason, the affected person should ideally consult a doctor relatively early on to prevent the occurrence of other symptoms and complications. The sooner a doctor is consulted, the better the further course of the disease.

The treatment itself depends very much on the exact severity of the symptoms and also on their type, with most of those affected having to take various medications to relieve the symptoms. Regular checks and examinations by a doctor are also very important in order to identify and treat other damage at an early stage.

Likewise, the person affected with shoulder joint inflammation should rest as much as possible and not exert his body unnecessarily. Physical activities should be avoided, although some of those affected are dependent on the help of other people due to the disease. The disease itself usually does not reduce the patient’s life expectancy and can be cured relatively easily in most cases.

You can do that yourself

In the case of existing inflammatory diseases, those affected can always do something good for themselves and their health if they support their body’s own defense system. A balanced and healthy diet is recommended for this. With sufficient exercise and optimal sleep hygiene, the organism is strengthened in everyday life. The consumption of pollutants, on the other hand, should be avoided. This area includes alcohol, drugs, over-the-counter medication, or nicotine. In addition, stressors should be reduced and eliminated as quickly as possible.

At the first physical discomfort, the adopted posture should be checked and, if possible, optimized. To avoid pain or complications, the loads on the shoulder should be reduced. The performance of physical work or sporting activities must be adapted according to the possible resilience of the body. Carrying heavy objects or excessive movement of the shoulder should be avoided. It is often advisable to restructure your everyday life and ask for help to carry out everyday tasks. Since in many cases the affected person automatically adopts a protective posture due to existing irregularities, care must be taken to ensure that regular compensatory movements take place.

Heat treatments, physiotherapeutic exercises and a regular change of posture are recommended to avoid muscle pain or tension.