The harms of periarthritis of the shoulder

Written by Dai Ru
Orthopedics
Updated on September 20, 2024
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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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How to exercise for frozen shoulder

Periarthritis of the shoulder, commonly presents with shoulder pain, stiffness, or worsening of pain with movement. This condition is frequently seen in individuals around 50 years old, more often in women than men, and commonly among physical laborers. Without timely treatment, it can exacerbate the functional mobility of the shoulder joint, making everyday tasks like combing hair, dressing, washing the face, or placing hands on hips difficult. In severe cases, it could even affect elbow mobility. Early intervention typically involves exercise; despite discomfort, it is essential to persist and may require analgesics or drugs that promote blood circulation and stop bleeding. Exercises like "wall climbing," using horizontal bars, or stretching within doorframes aim to equalize the range of motion between the affected limb and a healthy shoulder joint. Both active and passive movements, such as swinging the arms forward and backward for 50 repetitions each morning, can provide relief. The process should be gradual and progressively intensified. If self-directed exercise proves ineffective, interventions like injections can be administered by a physician, which relieve pain by detaching the sticky interactions among ligaments, muscles, and tendons in the shoulder area, thereby easing the symptoms over time. Continuous pain may persist for a while; alternatively, brachial plexus or cervical plexus anesthesia followed by manual reduction can significantly reduce pain and gradually alleviate symptoms.

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Symptoms of periarthritis of the shoulder

Patients with periarthritis of the shoulder typically exhibit symptoms of pain around the shoulder joint, which may affect their ability to lift their arms normally. This can interfere with daily activities such as washing the face or combing hair, which are common clinical symptoms of periarthritis of the shoulder. Once periarthritis of the shoulder is diagnosed, it is necessary to actively treat it. Treatments can include using topical plasters that activate blood circulation and relieve stasis, and taking oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications to alleviate pain. In cases with significant pain points, localized injections can be administered, and combined with physiotherapy methods such as acupuncture, electrotherapy, and cupping. It is also important to actively engage in exercises like wall climbing to improve shoulder joint function. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Early symptoms of periarthritis of the shoulder

The early symptoms of periarthritis of the shoulder are pain in the shoulder and limited movement of the shoulder joint, especially the action of raising the arm, which is clearly restricted. Therefore, for the treatment of this condition, it is encouraged that patients engage in functional exercises early on. If one fears the pain and dares not to move the shoulder joint, it will lead to stiffness of the joint and atrophy of the surrounding muscles. Generally speaking, periarthritis of the shoulder is a self-limiting disease with a typical duration of about one year. If you can raise your shoulder and perform normal activities within a year, then there will be no residual sequelae afterwards. However, if within a year, the shoulder joint becomes stiff and its movement becomes limited, then after a year, the symptoms of shoulder pain will significantly improve, but there will be some loss of range of motion in the joint. Therefore, for all patients with periarthritis of the shoulder, early functional exercise is encouraged to avoid symptoms such as joint effusion, joint stiffness, and muscle atrophy.

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How is periarthritis of the shoulder treated?

Periarthritis of the shoulder is mainly caused by degenerative changes in the soft tissues around the shoulder joint, chronic damage due to long-term overexertion, poor posture, and other factors, leading to symptoms such as shoulder pain and limited mobility. For the treatment of periarthritis of the shoulder, it is important to first rest and keep warm to prevent cold exposure. When symptoms of pain and limited mobility occur, symptomatic treatment with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medication, blood-activating and stasis-dissolving traditional Chinese medicine can be used to improve symptoms. Additionally, treatments such as hot compresses, physical therapy, massage, pain point blockades, and functional exercises for the shoulder joint can be employed. These methods play an active role in improving symptoms and delaying the progression of the disease. In cases where conservative treatment is ineffective or functional impairment occurs, surgical treatment can also be considered.

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Symptoms of Periarthritis of Shoulder

Periarthritis of the shoulder refers to the aseptic inflammation of the joint capsule, ligaments, and tendons around the shoulder joint due to chronic strain. This results in localized pain and restricted mobility. Additionally, the shoulder joint is affected during active actions such as lifting, abducting, and extending. During passive lifting activities, the pain may worsen. Also, pain is notably more severe at rest during the night. In the morning, there can be joint stiffness, which may ease after some movement, reducing both stiffness and pain.