Shoulder periarthritis symptoms

Written by Xie Yi Song
Orthopedics
Updated on September 19, 2024
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In daily life, periarthritis of the shoulder often has the following symptoms and manifestations: The first is movement impairment. This is manifested as limited movement in various directions of the shoulder joint, including outward extension of the upper limbs, actions such as chest-expanding, taking off clothes, as well as significant difficulties in lifting and rotating. This can present as an inability to flexibly comb hair, wash face, and dress or undress. This is a key point in distinguishing frozen shoulder from other shoulder disorders. The second is pain. It manifests as pain in one shoulder joint without obvious trauma, which can be a dull pain or sharp, knife-like pain, often worsening at night and even causing awakening due to pain. The pain can radiate to the neck, back, forearm, and hand. The third is tenderness. Most patients with the condition widely experience tender points upon pressing around the affected joint. Muscle stiffness and atrophy may occur. The muscles around the shoulder, such as the deltoid and supraspinatus, can become stiff during the onset, and disuse atrophy may occur in the later stages.

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Written by Li Jie
Orthopedics
1min 15sec home-news-image

How to massage for frozen shoulder

The disease known as periarthritis of the shoulder is also called frozen shoulder, adhesive capsulitis, or fifty-year-old shoulder, as it most commonly appears in middle-aged and elderly people around the age of 50. It is characterized by spasms, tension, and adhesion in the shoulder muscles, and sometimes may also involve dysfunction of the shoulder joint. Thus, for the treatment of periarthritis of the shoulder, massage techniques are generally employed. The purpose of the massage is primarily to relieve muscle tension, adhesions, and to relax the patient mentally. The technique must be gentle and not violent; local muscles can be massaged. On the affected side of the shoulder periarthritis, it can be found that the muscles are particularly tense. Massaging tender points gently can help relax these tense muscles, but one must ensure not to use rough techniques. Additionally, local acupoint massage of the shoulder can be performed, such as massaging common acupoints like Jianjing and Quyuan, which can also help alleviate pain. Simultaneously, combining these with physical therapy measures such as heat therapy, moxibustion, and acupuncture can yield better results.

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Written by Lv Yao
Orthopedics
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Causes of Periarthritis of the Shoulder

Periarthritis of the shoulder is caused by chronic strain on the shoulder, leading to aseptic inflammation of the muscles, ligaments, and even the joint capsule surrounding the shoulder joint. Symptoms include localized pain and limited mobility, often seen in middle-aged and elderly women. Once periarthritis of the shoulder occurs, it is important to determine the cause. During treatment, it is important to rest and engage in appropriate functional exercises. Because if rest periods are overly prolonged during the treatment of periarthritis of the shoulder, it can lead to limited range of motion in the shoulder joint. Therefore, appropriate functional exercises should also be performed during the rest and physical therapy process.

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Written by Na Hong Wei
Orthopedics
1min 50sec home-news-image

How to cure periarthritis of the shoulder using the arm-swinging method?

In the treatment of periarthritis of the shoulder, there is a method called "arm-swinging". The main technique of arm-swinging involves swinging the shoulder joint inward, outward, forward, and backward, forming a circle with the shoulder joint. This circle is actually two circles: one from the front to the back, and another from the back to the front. The arm-swinging method should be very effective for treating periarthritis of the shoulder, but the following issues need to be noted: First, it is crucial to exclude any rotator cuff injuries, especially tears in the supraspinatus or infraspinatus muscles. If tears in the supraspinatus or infraspinatus muscles occur, the arm-swinging method is not recommended due to its "zipper effect." This refers to a small initial tear that could further enlarge through improper exercise, eventually becoming a large tear. Thus, the first point is to rule out rotator cuff injuries. Second, when performing the arm-swinging method, one should not rush and should progress gradually. Initially, the range may be very small or the movement may not be possible to perform, but with consistent and persistent practice, the range of motion will gradually increase, making arm-swinging easier. However, rushing may lead to muscle tears around the shoulder joint or tear injuries to the joint capsule. Third, although the arm-swinging method can have a beneficial effect in treating periarthritis of the shoulder, starting the exercise can be very painful. Therefore, it may be necessary to use other methods initially, such as taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs orally, or undergoing massage or physiotherapy, to relax the muscles and ligaments around the shoulder joint. This can reduce pain during the arm-swinging exercises and enhance effectiveness.

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Written by Dai Ru
Orthopedics
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The harms of periarthritis of the shoulder

Periarthritis of the shoulder, also known as frozen shoulder or "fifty-year-old's shoulder", as the name suggests, most commonly occurs around the age of 50 and is more frequent in women than in men. Periarthritis of the shoulder is merely one clinical manifestation of certain conditions and represents a vague diagnosis. Current clinical research suggests that a significant portion of periarthritis is caused by rotator cuff injuries. The main risk of periarthritis of the shoulder is that it can cause pain in the shoulder and impair the joint's mobility. In cases where significant rotator cuff injuries are ruled out, conservative treatment is primarily adopted for periarthritis of the shoulder. This includes oral anti-inflammatory pain relief medications, local blockade treatments, and enhanced functional exercises for the shoulder joint.

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Written by Xie Yi Song
Orthopedics
1min 12sec home-news-image

Shoulder periarthritis symptoms

In daily life, periarthritis of the shoulder often has the following symptoms and manifestations: The first is movement impairment. This is manifested as limited movement in various directions of the shoulder joint, including outward extension of the upper limbs, actions such as chest-expanding, taking off clothes, as well as significant difficulties in lifting and rotating. This can present as an inability to flexibly comb hair, wash face, and dress or undress. This is a key point in distinguishing frozen shoulder from other shoulder disorders. The second is pain. It manifests as pain in one shoulder joint without obvious trauma, which can be a dull pain or sharp, knife-like pain, often worsening at night and even causing awakening due to pain. The pain can radiate to the neck, back, forearm, and hand. The third is tenderness. Most patients with the condition widely experience tender points upon pressing around the affected joint. Muscle stiffness and atrophy may occur. The muscles around the shoulder, such as the deltoid and supraspinatus, can become stiff during the onset, and disuse atrophy may occur in the later stages.