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What are my Treatment Options and when is it time to speak with a specialist?
What are my Treatment Options and when is it time to speak with a specialist?
One minute you were leaping for the ball, the next you were doubled over, your shoulder feeling like it was on fire. Or maybe it has been a gradual progression where the pain increasingly interferes with your day-to-day life. Now, you can’t sleep at night. You may even have trouble with even simple activities such as getting dressed or combing your hair. You’re asking yourself: “Do I have to live with this pain?” “What can I do?” Talk to your doctor, healthcare professional or GP about treatment options to help reduce your pain, regain your shoulder mobility, and help get you back to the activities you love.
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One minute you were leaping for the ball, the next you were doubled over, your shoulder feeling like it was on fire. Or maybe it has been a gradual progression where the pain increasingly interferes with your day-to-day life. Now, you can’t sleep at night. You may even have trouble with even simple activities such as getting dressed or combing your hair. You’re asking yourself: “Do I have to live with this pain?” “What can I do?” Talk to your doctor, healthcare professional or GP about treatment options to help reduce your pain, regain your shoulder mobility, and help get you back to the activities you love.
Treatment Options
Exercise
Exercise will be key in caring for your shoulder. Your doctor or physiotherapist will recommend certain exercises that help strengthen the muscles that support your shoulder. It is important to ensure you perform the exercise correctly and don’t strain any muscles.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy can be a very important treatment of shoulder osteoarthritis. Typically, this treatment involves exercise programs to improve your mobility and strengthen your muscles, joint manipulation and mobilisation to reduce your pain and stiffness as well as muscle re-education to improve your control.1
Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy may be appropriate as a short-term treatment of shoulder osteoarthritis. This therapy includes stretching, soft tissue and/or joint mobilisation and/or manipulation.1
Ice Therapy
Ice Therapy is a self-management home treatment for shoulder osteoarthritis. This therapy is a supplementary treatment for pain management and involves the application of ice packs over the source of pain.1
Medication
Different types of medication can be prescribed by your GP to help relieve pain arising from your shoulder osteoarthritis. Medications can include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or paracetamol for short periods, both of which are taken orally for short periods. It is important that you follow the instructions of your GP before taking any of these medications.1
Steroid Injection
A Corticosteroid Injection is another treatment option used for the short-term relief associated with Shoulder Osteoarthritis pain. Your healthcare professional may find it appropriate to offer an intra-articular corticosteroid injection to help provide short-term pain relief if previously prescribed medications are not relieving your shoulder pain.1
Surgery
Shoulder Replacement Surgery is used to treat shoulder osteoarthritis when other non-operative treatment options have been attempted and are no longer effective. Your GP will make the decision to refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon to explore if surgery could be an appropriate treatment option if they identify you have severe osteoarthritis for which non-operative treatments are ineffective.
Other Treatment Options
Where non-operative treatment options have been ineffective, surgical procedures may help reduce shoulder pain and increase the range of movement in your shoulder. Your GP will make the decision to refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon to explore if surgery could be an appropriate treatment option if they identify you have severe osteoarthritis for which non-operative treatments are ineffective.
Shoulder Arthroscopy
What Can Arthroscopic Surgery Treat?
Arthroscopic surgery can be used to diagnose and treat shoulder injuries. This minimally invasive approach to surgery can help speed recovery, reduce pain and minimise scarring, when compared to traditional open surgery.3 Orthopaedic surgeons can use arthroscopic surgery to perform a variety of procedures, including the removal of small bits of bone or cartilage, the repair or removal of torn tendons, the removal of inflamed bursae, or the removal of inflamed synovium. Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs that can reduce friction between moving parts in your body’s joints. The synovium lines the entire inner surface of the joint, except where there is cartilage.
Potential benefits of arthroscopic surgery:
- Less pain following the procedure
- Lower risk of complications
- Shorter hospital stays
- Out-patient surgery option
- Quicker recovery
- Less scarring
Shoulder Replacement
More than 8,700 shoulder replacement procedures are performed annually in Australia, with many people experiencing pain relief and improved function.2 An increasing number of patients are returning to more active lifestyles thanks to advancements in the materials and procedures used in shoulder replacement. Today, shoulder replacement is the third most common joint replacement.2 In a study of patients with shoulder pain, more than 95% reported having less pain after shoulder replacement.4
You may benefit from shoulder replacement if:
- Painful movement limits not only work and recreation, but impacts daily activities of normal living.
- Sleep is disturbed due to pain in your shoulder or arm.
- Pain relief is unsuccessful using traditional approaches such as medication, injections or physical therapy.
- The shoulder is stiff and arm movement is limited.
- There may be a grinding or catching sensation as the bone surfaces move against one another.
- X-ray or MRI shows arthritis or other problems.
A successful shoulder replacement may:
- Improve quality of life
- Relieve pain
- Provide a stable joint
- Improve your ability to manage daily activities.