Shoulder Osteoarthritis

Shoulder Osteoarthritis Diagnosis

Shoulder anatomy is complex and susceptible to a variety of problems. To make a shoulder arthritis diagnosis, a doctor must rule out other common potential sources of pain, such as bursitis, shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tears or other common shoulder problems.

No single test can definitively diagnose osteoarthritis of the shoulder, so physicians use a comprehensive approach that is verified by diagnostic imaging to arrive at a clinical diagnosis.

Shoulder Osteoarthritis Risk Factors

No one knows the exact cause of shoulder osteoarthritis, but most people who develop osteoarthritis have at least one of the traits below.

Shoulder joint trauma. A broken bone, dislocation (when the humeral head pops out of its socket), or other serious injury or surgery can cause damage to the shoulder joint that eventually leads to shoulder osteoarthritis. Symptoms may not appear until many years after the trauma.

Shoulder Osteoarthritis Symptoms

The symptoms of shoulder arthritis tend to progress gradually; sometimes symptoms may seemingly get better, only to return.

Many people initially attribute shoulder soreness or stiffness to lack of exercise or getting older. However, shoulder arthritis can progress and eventually interrupt one’s ability to enjoy everyday activities. Early recognition of symptoms and appropriate activity modification and treatment can sometimes slow or eliminate progression of shoulder osteoarthritis symptoms.

Shoulder Osteoarthritis Treatment

Osteoarthritis of the shoulder is a progressively degenerative disease that cannot be reversed. A variety of treatments are used to control pain and slow the disease’s progression. Unfortunately, there is a lack of clinical research that establishes which nonsurgical shoulder arthritis treatments work best for which patients.^{5, 6} This does not mean that the treatments available are not effective, but that often there is a process of trial and error regarding which treatments work best for which patients.

What is Shoulder Osteoarthritis?

Even moderate shoulder osteoarthritis can be extremely painful and debilitating, as the damaged or missing cartilage in the shoulder joint allows friction between bones. The friction in turn causes shoulder pain, stiffness, and difficulty functioning in everyday activities.