How To Stop Age-Related Shoulder Joint Degeneration?

How Do You Identify Shoulder Joint Degeneration?

You use your shoulder joints every day; they are like workhorses in your daily life. It helps you perform activities like lifting, turning, reaching, etc. Your shoulder joints are like workhorses in your daily life. It is constantly put into action. It helps perform activities such as lifting, turning, reaching, etc. But all this work can lead to slow degeneration. 

Your joints are like a machine and you must keep them well-oiled to prevent any serious damages in the future.

The symptoms of shoulder degeneration that you may experience can vary depending on the severity of your condition.

Some common symptoms include:

• Pain when you move the shoulders.
• Stiffness makes it difficult for your arms to move.
• Loss of motion with severe stiffness and pain.
• Grating or popping noises as you move your arms.

Wear, Tear and Repair - A Vicious Cycle of Degeneration

Yes, the story of wear, tear and repair around your shoulder joint is a vicious cycle from which it is hard to get out.

The cartilage around your joints is very smooth and rubber-like. This cartilage becomes thinner and less effective as you age. Eventually, due to over-usage, it breaks.

So, when this rubber protection breaks down, your bones are exposed. Now, the bones around your shoulder joints face each other and it creates friction during movement. This friction leads to inflammation in the soft tissues around your shoulder joint, leading to constant pain.

This inflammation is actually your body trying to push instant repair of the damage, but sometimes this inflammation can further harm other structures around your shoulder. This leads to further degeneration.

Your body tries to repair it on its own. When your cartilage gets damaged, the body produces new cartilage cells. However, these cells are less efficient than the original ones.Thus, over time, it can lead to degeneration.

So, your role is to prevent this degeneration by stopping the uncontrolled inflammation. Read further to know how!

Potential Causes of Constant Damage of Shoulder Structures 

There are many causes, but some of the most common include:

• Ageing
• Overuse
• Traumatic Injury
• Other medical conditions

Common Ageing - Related Shoulder Issues

All shoulder pains, stiffness and loss of movement are not the same. The changes in and around your shoulder joint can be caused by different types of damage. How and what? Read along.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

You must have heard of this most common type of arthritis. As the name suggests, it's the damage of the bones. Osteo means bones. You may experience shoulder degeneration from OA from this typical cycle of wear and tear.

OA can give you these symptoms: 

• Pain
• Stiffness
• Loss of motion

Do you ever notice your shoulders feeling achy or stiff after a long day of activity? I hope you don't; if you do, you might be experiencing the early signs of osteoarthritis.

Rotator Cuff Tears 

Rotator cuff tear is another victim of constant wear and tear. Rotator cuffs are the four strong muscles that hold your shoulder joints together, along with tendons and ligaments. 

When your shoulders are prone to constant movement and overuse, these rotator cuffs slowly get worn out. This is when you start experiencing pain. If you do not prevent further injury on this cuff, the tight hold eventually snaps!

The symptoms you may experience with RCI are;

• Pain during mid-movement of arms
• Stiffness
• Slight swelling over the painful shoulder

Impingement Syndrome

Impingement syndrome is something similar to rotator cuff injury. It is, in fact, a sage when there is some kind of inflammatory swelling around your rotator cuffs, and the space between the two bones where the rotator cuff had to stay gets too jam-packed. The rotator cuffs do not have space to move, and your shoulder movement gets restricted.

The symptom you may experience is severe pain when you lift your arms between 60 to 120 degrees height. However, the pain reduces to 180 degrees. 

Frozen Shoulder

This highly common condition among individuals in their late 40s must be recognised well to prevent and cure the condition. 

Frozen shoulder, literally feels like your shoulder is stuck in its place. Yes, something similar happens in the joint space of the shoulder.

As you have read above, whenever there is some wear and tear around the shoulder, it's followed by inflammation. This inflammatory reaction pulls all the gooey components from the blood to the joint space. The aim of these components is to heal the wear and tear, but as the wear and tear continue without rest, they eventually get collected in the joint space and create a sticky condition between the two bones of the shoulder joint. 

To learn more about this condition, read the article, 'Frozen Shoulder: Causes, treatment and Exercises'.

Apart from these common shoulder pain-related issues, other uncommon cases are bursitis (inflammation of the bursa), fractures & dislocations (following a trauma), ligament pulls, pinched nerves and so on.

How Can You Take Preventive Measures for Shoulder Injuries?

Do not worry, there are plenty of preventive and self care measures for shoulder joint injuries. Practise some of these.

Always Stay Active: This is so important, especially when you age because your muscles and bones get stronger with micro-injuries. When you are not active, they start losing their interest in creating newer and stronger tissues.

Try some of these great  exercises to strengthen your shoulders;

• Rows
• Overhead presses
• Shoulder shrugs

Maintain a Healthy Weight: When you have an extra weight on your arms, upper back and neck, it puts an extra strain on the muscles around the shoulder joint.

Avoid Repetitive Motions : Repetitive motions like continuous stirring while cooking, typing on keyboard for an extended time period, sewing continuously, always lifting weight can put repeated strain on your shoulder bones and tissues around it. So make sure that you take enough breaks for the small wear and tears to heal and reduce unwanted inflammation.

Eat Healthy : A healthy and balanced diet for your muscles and bones are important as these are one of the fastest deteriorating parts in your body as you grow older.

Manage Stress: Now, what does stress have to do with the joints? Stress contributes to pain and inflammation in your joints. So take time for yourself and find ways to manage stress by doing things you love, following your hobbies, practising meditation and yogic calmness.

Practise proper Posture: Always maintain the right body postures to help your muscles and bones work healthily. Some of the best postures for your shoulder joints are;

Sit up straight with relaxed shoulders. Avoid slouching or hunching.

• Stand tall with relaxed shoulders.
• Keep your head up when you walk and stand.

Now, are you someone who is already experiencing the symptoms of shoulder degeneration? Then check out some of the best treatment options you can choose from!

Medical Interventions and Conventional Treatment

As you all know, your natural ageing process can't be reversed. Still, there are various treatment options available for you. These will help manage age-related shoulder joint problems and improve your quality of life:

Physiotherapy

• The first line of treatment for age-related shoulder problems
• Helps restore your:
  • strength
  • flexibility and 
  • range of motion
• Includes gentle movements, range of movements and muscle-strengthening exercises.

Surgical Methods

• To address and repair the underlying structural problems.
• Complete Rotator cuff tears may require surgical procedures to restore the function of your shoulder joint.
• Joint replacement surgery is employed in severe arthritis conditions.

Pain Killers

• Over-the-counter pain relievers can help manage mild to moderate shoulder pain. 
• For more severe pain and discomfort, your doctor may prescribe stronger medications, such as anti-inflammatory drugs.

Ayurvedic Treatment and Management

Ayurveda holds a holistic approach towards the treatment. Its primary focus is to correct the root cause of imbalance in your body. Ayurvedic treatment methods not only enhance our health but improve our overall well-being. 

There are various methods for treating and managing shoulder joint issues in Ayurveda.

Nasya Karma: 

• Herbal medicines, such as medicated powder, paste, oil, etc, are instilled into your nostrils.
• It is indicated for relieving head, eyes, throat, ears, neck, nose, shoulders and scapula conditions.
• It can help to alleviate the pain and discomfort.

Snehana:

• Large amounts of medicated oil are applied over the body (external).
• Done internally by intake of ghee or oil by mouth.
• It helps impart lubrication to your body.
• Aids in relieving shoulder pain and discomfort.

Swedana:

• Steam or sweating therapy
• It dislodges and liquifies toxins in your body.
• The accumulated toxins can be removed from your body.
• It relieves stiffness and heaviness.

Lepa:

• Medicated herbal paste is applied on a pad and bandage around your joint.
• It is very effective in the stage of stiffness.
• It helps relieve pain and discomfort.
• Effective in joint inflammations.

Medicated formulations:

• Gandha taila ( oil ) - Internal Administration
• Mustadi Marma Kashaya (Decoction) - Internal Administration
• Prasarinyadi taila ( Oil ) - External Application.

Conclusion

Taking care of your shoulders is essential for maintaining mobility and comfort as you age. Understanding the changes in your shoulder joints allows you to take proactive steps to maintain their health and function. You can check on your joint health and overall well-being by following healthy lifestyle routines and a balanced diet. Giving proper care and attention, you can continue to enjoy our full range of motion and pain-free movements for years to come. Stay informed of your treatment options, and always seek professional help at the earliest.