Shoulder Arthritis
What Is Shoulder Arthritis?
Shoulder arthritis develops when the smooth cartilage covering the ball and socket of the shoulder joint gradually wears away, leaving bone to grind against bone. This leads to pain, stiffness, and progressive loss of motion. The most common form is osteoarthritis, a gradual wear process, though arthritis can also develop after a significant shoulder injury (post-traumatic arthritis) or following a large, longstanding rotator cuff tear (a specific pattern called cuff-tear arthropathy).
What Causes Shoulder Arthritis?
- Age-related wear of the joint cartilage over time
- Previous shoulder injuries, including fractures or dislocations
- A large, chronic rotator cuff tear that has gone untreated for an extended period, altering the normal mechanics of the joint
- Genetics and family history
- Repetitive heavy use of the shoulder over many years
- Inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, which can affect the shoulder along with other joints
What Are the Symptoms of Shoulder Arthritis?
- A deep, aching pain in the shoulder, often worse with activity and at night
- Progressive stiffness and loss of motion, particularly reaching overhead or behind the back
- A grinding, popping, or grating sensation with shoulder movement
- Difficulty with everyday tasks like reaching into a cabinet, dressing, or sleeping on the affected side
- Pain that may be felt not just in the shoulder itself but radiating down the upper arm
Does Shoulder Arthritis Affect Motion More Than Knee Arthritis?
Often, yes, relatively speaking. Because the shoulder relies on a combination of joint surfaces and surrounding soft tissue (including the rotator cuff and joint capsule) for its wide range of motion, arthritis in the shoulder frequently causes a more noticeable and earlier loss of motion — particularly overhead reaching — compared to how knee arthritis typically progresses. This is one reason patients with shoulder arthritis often notice difficulty with tasks like reaching into a cabinet or washing their hair before pain becomes the dominant complaint.
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Treatment Options for Shoulder Arthritis
Treatment typically begins with nonsurgical measures and escalates based on symptom severity:
- Activity modification
- Physical therapy to maintain motion and support the joint with strengthened surrounding muscles
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Injections, such as Cortisone Injections, Viscosupplementation, or PRP Injections, to reduce inflammation and provide temporary relief
When these measures no longer provide adequate relief and arthritis significantly limits quality of life, shoulder replacement surgery may be considered. Depending on the condition of the rotator cuff and the pattern of arthritis, this can range from a standard (anatomic) shoulder replacement to a reverse shoulder replacement, which is specifically designed for patients whose rotator cuff is also severely damaged. Learn more on our Shoulder Arthroplasty page.
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Dr. Palsis specializes in the treatment of knee, shoulder, and sports injuries.