How Can I Treat My Shoulder Arthritis?

It can be difficult to navigate your daily life when you have constant shoulder pain. Even a simple task like getting a cup down from a shelf can become a problem. As your arthritis advances, the pain can last from the moment you wake up to the time you go to bed.  

At The Spine and Sports Center at The Galleria in Houston, Sugar Land, and the Willowbrook/Cy-Fair area of Texas, Dr. Benoy Benny suggests lifestyle changes to mitigate your shoulder arthritis pain and provides noninvasive treatments to improve your mobility.

Causes of shoulder arthritis 

The most common form of shoulder arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is degenerative joint disease. Certain people are more at risk of developing osteoarthritis as they get older, but anyone can develop the disease. 

You could have a higher risk if you:

• Work manual labor jobs involving repetitive motions
• Play sports requiring repetitive overarm motions
• Suffered from shoulder injuries in the past

While osteoarthritis is a common cause of shoulder pain, it isn't the only form of the disease. Arthritis can develop from avascular necrosis, which causes cells in the shoulder to die when blood can’t reach the humerus bone, and rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes joint pain in the shoulder.

Post-traumatic arthritis and rotator cuff tear arthropathy can also cause shoulder pain.

If you're not sure what's causing your shoulder arthritis, we can help diagnose what's wrong with your joint. From there, you can begin building a pain management plan and treat the root issue. 

Treating shoulder arthritis 

The treatment for your shoulder arthritis depends on several factors, like the severity of your pain, its cause, and what treatments you're comfortable with. Surgery is usually considered to be a final resort. 

Common nonsurgical treatments for shoulder arthritis include: 

• Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) 
• Lifestyle changes
• Physical therapy 
• Regular cortisone/steroid injections
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
• Mild painkillers to reduce inflammation 

You might receive regular injections and physical therapy at one of our offices while taking over-the-counter medication and doing various exercises at home. 

If these treatments fail to address your pain, we might begin discussing surgical options. We recommend exploring various non or minimally invasive treatment options before settling on surgery. 

The first step to getting treatment for shoulder arthritis is receiving an accurate diagnosis. To begin the process, call our nearest location or book a visit online today.