Shoulder Arthritis - Treatment in Adelaide
Dr Arthur Turow, Shoulder SurgeonShoulder arthritis is damage to the cartilage of your shoulder joint, leading to stiffness and pain. Dr Arthur Turow is an Adelaide based orthopaedic surgeon specialising in shoulder and upper limb conditions. He offers expert diagnosis, evidence-based treatment guidance and advanced surgical options, including patient-specific 3D navigated shoulder replacements, delivering best practice care to patients with shoulder arthritis.
Shoulder arthritis can lead to shoulder pain, stiffness and clicking
What is Shoulder Arthritis?
Shoulder arthritis is joint inflammation leading to damage to the cartilage of the shoulder joint, the glenohumeral joint. The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint allowing large range of motion. It is formed by the head of the upper arm bone (humerus) and the shallow socket of the shoulder blade (glenoid). Both the humeral head and the glenoid are lined by a layer of cartilage. This allows smooth movement of your shoulder with minimal friction and without any pain.
In shoulder arthritis, the cartilage gets inflamed, damaged and wears away over time. This exposes the bone underneath the cartilage and leads to bone-on-bone contact. This can result in pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion of your shoulder. Find out more about shoulder arthritis at OrthoInfo or Healthdirect.
What are the most common causes for shoulder arthritis?
There are different causes of shoulder arthritis. The most common ones include:
Primary Osteoarthritis: This is the most common form of arthritis and occurs due to the natural wear and tear of the joint over time. It typically affects older individuals and can lead to joint pain, stiffness, and loss of function.
Cuff-tear arthritis: A specific type of shoulder arthritis that occurs when a severe rotator cuff tear leads to degenerative changes in the shoulder joint.
Post-traumatic arthritis: This type of arthritis can develop after a shoulder injury or fracture. The trauma can damage the joint structures, leading to cartilage degeneration and subsequent arthritis.
What are the common symptoms?
The symptoms of shoulder arthritis can vary but most frequently include:
Pain: Pain is the most common symptom and often feels like a deep ache. It can be in different areas of the shoulder depending on the type of arthritis and may worsen with activity or at night.
Stiffness: Stiffness is another common symptom. You may find that you cannot lift your arm above your head or it may be difficult to reach out to the side. As your shoulder joint gets stiff with arthritis, your shoulder blade may hitch and move instead of the shoulder joint as a way to compensate for the shoulder joint stiffness.
Clicking: Mechanical symptoms can occur with shoulder arthritis. This may include locking, grinding or popping of your shoulder.
Weakness: Depending on why you have shoulder arthritis, you may feel that your shoulder is weak, particularly as you try to raise your arm above your head.
X-ray of a normal shoulder
In a normal shoulder X-ray, the shoulder joint has a smooth outline with a symmetrical outline of the joint.
X-ray of an arthritic shoulder
In shoulder arthritis (arrow), the shoulder joint is narrow leading to joint stiffness and pain.
Diagnosis and When to Seek Help
Shoulder arthritis is diagnosed with physical examination and imaging such as an X-ray. X-rays assess for joint space narrowing and bone changes. Further imaging such as ultrasound, MRI and CT may sometimes be needed for further treatment guidance. You should see a shoulder specialist if you have not responded to non-operative treatments, your pain is worsening and is affecting your daily activities and sleep.
Treatment Options
Non-surgical Treatment
Rest and activity modification: Avoid activities that aggravate your shoulder and allow your shoulder to rest. Using a sling on occasion may help you with pain.
Pain management: It is best to stick to simple pain relief, such as Paracetamol (Panadol) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs; Nurofen). Long-term use of strong pain killers should ideally be avoided, but can be used for a brief period during an exacerbation of pain.
Physical therapy: Specific exercises and stretching of your shoulder may be helpful. Your physiotherapist can guide you through specific strengthening and stretching.
Heat/ cold: Your shoulder may respond to heating or cooling, especially if you have a spike of pain. Heating tends to work better in the colder months and cooling in summer; it’s best to try what works best for you.
Shoulder Replacement Surgery
If you have exhausted all non-surgical options or if your shoulder arthritis symptoms are severe, you may need surgery. The main procedure done for shoulder arthritis is a shoulder replacement or also known as a shoulder arthroplasty. It is a reliable and definitive way to treat your shoulder arthritis. It involves replacing the ball and socket of your joint with an implant.
The primary aim of shoulder replacement surgery is to improve your shoulder function by removing pain. A shoulder replacement may also increase your range of motion, especially if you have had associated shoulder stiffness. A shoulder replacement is a major operation. You will need time to heal and recover. After surgery, you will have follow-up with a physiotherapist, who will guide you through your rehabilitation and work on your range of motion and shoulder strength.
Shoulder Replacement
With a shoulder replacement the ball and socket joint is replaced with an implant to reduce your pain and improve your shoulder function.
Why Choose Dr Arthur Turow for Shoulder Arthritis in Adelaide
Shoulder Specialist: Subspecialty training in shoulder and upper limb surgery
Advanced Techniques: Patient specific 3D guided shoulder replacement
Local Expertise: Accessible care across Adelaide and South Australia, including Yorke Peninsula, Gawler and Mt Barker
Patient-Centred Care: Personalised treatment tailored for every patient
Recognised Training: Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) with additional memberships of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) and Australian Medical Association (AMA)
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes shoulder arthritis?
Common causes include primary osteoarthritis from wear and tear of your shoulder joint, post-traumatic arthritis rotator cuff disease and inflammatory conditions.
Do alternative treatments work for shoulder arthritis?
Alternative treatments for shoulder arthritis includes acupuncture/dry needling, platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections, joint fluid supplements (e.g. Durolane and Monovisc) or manipulation. None of these measures have been shown to provide any long-term, beneficial effects for shoulder arthritis. In some cases, however, you may find some benefits with alternative treatments. If you would like to explore non-surgical, alternative treatments for your shoulder it is best to get guidance with this from your GP or from a dedicated musculoskeletal physician. The Wakefield Sports Clinic has a dedicate team of musculoskeletal physicians that can help you.
What not to do with shoulder arthritis?
There are usually no specific restrictions with shoulder arthritis. You can and are encouraged to stay active and use your shoulder as you tolerate. It is important to maintain good shoulder health by maintaining range of motion and strength of your shoulder muscles. The only thing to avoid, especially if your pain is worsening and you are considering surgery, are steroid injections. Steroid injections into your shoulder generally do not provide long-term benefits and can significantly increase infection rates with surgery.
When is surgery needed?
When non-operative treatment has not been effective or you have noticed that your shoulder has worsened function or you have night pain, surgery may be needed. The main procedure done for shoulder arthritis is a shoulder replacement.
For Patients
Everyone responds differently to shoulder arthritis and your specific symptoms can vary. If you are experiencing shoulder pain, limited mobility, or other concerning symptoms, book your appointment with Dr Arthur Turow at one of his clinic locations in Adelaide to discuss the right treatment for you.