Shoulder tendonitis is one of the most common diseases of the joints and bones, especially with age, and leads to difficulty in daily life in addition to many complications. Therefore, in this article we will tell you about the causes of shoulder tendinitis and methods of treating it:
Shoulder tendonitis: causes
There are many causes that lead to this inflammation, including the following:
Aging: As bones and muscles become weaker with age, and with a lack of flexibility in the joints, this inflammation can occur.
Lack of activity: Physical activity is important for bone flexibility and non-stiffness, and therefore the chances of developing such infections increase in people who do not engage in any physical activities.
Violent movements: Sudden, harsh movements can lead to inflammation in the shoulder, as can practicing some violent sports that require moving it forcefully.
Wrong daily habits: such as: sleeping and moving incorrectly, carrying heavy weights incorrectly, in addition to being exposed to sudden cold air.
Shoulder tendonitis: symptoms
Symptoms of shoulder tendonitis are as follows:
Shoulder pain: It is difficult to move and the pain may reach the chest bones and back bones. The pain intensifies over time and increases after waking up from sleep.
Swelling in the shoulder: It is possible to notice swelling in the shoulder, not just pain, depending on the stage the condition has reached.
Difficulty carrying or lifting things: Because this causes severe pain, there are restrictions in shoulder movement that cannot be overcome.
Stiffness of the shoulder joint: This is a subsequent stage of pain in the shoulder. This hinders the normal functioning of life due to the difficulty of moving it.
A cracking sound when moving the arm: This is the result of stiffness. When trying to move it hard, some cracking sounds are produced.
Shoulder tendonitis: treatment
Treating shoulder tendinitis includes a group of therapeutic methods, whether at home or at the doctor. Get to know them:
1. Medical treatment for shoulder tendonitis
Here are the treatment methods provided by the doctor:
Anti-inflammatories: Oral analgesics and topical ointments that help relieve stiffness and eliminate pain that impedes shoulder movement.
Injections into the tendon: They help reduce pain and inflammation, and are used if medications are not successful in treating the problem.
Physical therapy: Through sessions and exercises to move the joints in a correct way, which helps restore their flexibility and strengthen the tendons.
Surgical intervention: This is in the event of a tendon rupture and there is no treatment for it without surgery.
2. Home treatment for shoulder tendinitis
There are also some preventive and therapeutic measures that can be done at home, which are:
Commitment to resting the area affected by inflammation: putting pressure on it will increase pain and inflammation, and it must be rested until the problem is recovered.
Elevating the affected shoulder on a pillow while sleeping: This helps stimulate blood circulation and reduce the incidence of inflammation.
Apply cold compresses to the affected area: This greatly reduces inflammation and prevents stiffness.
Avoid sudden practices and movements: these wrong actions will cause complications and exacerbate the problem.
Maintaining body flexibility: The longer the body remains immobile, the greater the chances of developing infections and severe pain.
Shoulder arthritis
Arthritis, including shoulder arthritis, occurs as a result of continuous and gradual erosion of the cartilage in the shoulder joint, which leads to the bones rubbing together, causing inflammation in the joint and a feeling of pain when moving it, in addition to limited range of motion.
There are many types of shoulder arthritis, the most prominent of which are as follows:
1. Osteoarthritis of the shoulder
Osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease, causes arthritis as a result of the gradual wear and tear of joint cartilage with continuous use and with aging, especially after the age of 50 years.
This type of arthritis can occur in younger people as a result of a direct injury to the shoulder joint, and is one of the most common types of arthritis.
2. Inflammation of the shoulder joint as a result of injury
Shoulder arthritis occurs as a result of injury after a direct blow to the shoulder, causing erosion of the cartilage of the shoulder joint.
In this case, shoulder arthritis may occur after exposure to an injury during sports activities, traffic accidents, or even a fall, which leads to a shoulder dislocation or a fracture of the shoulder bone.
This type of shoulder arthritis is common in younger people due to injury, but it can occur in older age groups.
3. Rheumatoid shoulder arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune disease that results from the immune system attacking the cells of the synovial membrane that separates the bones in the joints, leading to their erosion and the occurrence of inflammation and pain in the joints of the body, including the shoulder joint.
Rheumatoid arthritis often affects both shoulder joints at the same time.
4. Inflammation of the shoulder joint as a result of tendon rupture
Shoulder arthritis may occur as a result of a rupture in one or more of the tendons responsible for significant movement of the shoulder over prolonged periods.
If one or more of these tendons rupture, this may cause the humeral head bone to rub against adjacent bones, leading to inflammation of the shoulder joint.
5. Shoulder arthritis due to ischemia
Death may occur in the tissues of the joint and the bones that make up it if the shoulder joint is exposed to certain conditions, such as: direct blows or certain diseases such as sickle cell anemia and blood clots, chronic use of steroid medications, and alcoholism, which leads to a decrease or lack of blood flow in that area and tissue death. Living in it (Avascular Necrosis).
In the event of a lack of blood supply and death of bone tissue, this leads to bone erosion and gradual destruction of joint cartilage, thus causing arthritis.
Symptoms of shoulder arthritis
The symptoms and severity of shoulder arthritis vary from one person to another depending on a number of factors, including: the presence of a previous injury to the shoulder joint, the degree of erosion of the joint cartilage, and the type of shoulder arthritis that the person suffers from.
Here are the most prominent side effects associated with shoulder arthritis:
Pain in the shoulder joint from all sides is one of the most common symptoms. It can occur at any time with or without moving the shoulder, but its severity usually increases after carrying heavy objects or after exercising. It is possible for the pain to extend to the arm, elbow, or hands in cases of Severe shoulder arthritis.
Swelling, redness and heat in the shoulder joint.
Stiffness in the shoulder joint and inability to make certain movements or use the arms as before.
Feeling the bones that make up the shoulder joint rub against each other, which may result in a cracking sound when moving the shoulder.
Limited movements and range of motion in the shoulder joint that a person can perform.
Diagnosis of shoulder arthritis
In diagnosing shoulder arthritis, the doctor relies on the symptoms that the patient complains of, medical history, and physical examination, in addition to diagnostic imaging, such as:
Treatment of shoulder arthritis
Treatment of shoulder arthritis depends on alleviating the symptoms associated with it, such as pain and limited movement in the joint, and includes the following treatments:
Get enough rest and reduce or stop practicing some of the daily activities that the patient does that cause an increase in the severity of symptoms, such as: carrying heavy objects or practicing some sporting activities that increase pain.
Apply ice compresses to the shoulder for 20-30 minutes two to three times during the day. Warm compresses can also be used if they reduce pain and swelling more for the patient.
Use medications to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. It is recommended to consult a doctor before taking them to ensure that there are no contraindications to the patient’s use, and to choose the medication and the appropriate dose for the patient’s condition.
Undergoing physical therapy in some cases in which a person loses the normal range of motion of the shoulder.
The doctor uses cortisone injections or hyaluronic acid injections to relieve the symptoms associated with arthritis.
In some cases that do not respond to previous treatments, the doctor may resort to the surgical option, such as removing the tissue causing arthritis using an arthroscope or performing a shoulder joint replacement in cases of complete joint cartilage erosion and direct friction between the shoulder and humerus bones.
