Shoulder pain: tendonitis, osteoarthritis or capsulitis? supported ?

Shoulder pain can occur at any age. They are one of the main reasons for consulting general medicine and rheumatology. Because ? The shoulder is very often solicited and is one of the most mobile of our joint complexes.. It consists of several joints, muscles and tendons that can cause pain, the management of which differs slightly. Hence the importance of consulting a doctor for quickly treat the causes and relieve disabling symptoms.

Shoulder pain is sometimes accompanied by stiffness, reduced shoulder mobility, and/or loss of muscle strength. Several reasons can explain this:

Poor posture or overuse of the shoulders in the professional or personal field can also generate pain. They encourage the friction of the tendons and can create mini-lesions which however cause significant pain.

In the absence of a traumatic history, most of the time, shoulder pain is related to damage to the rotator cuff (the four muscles that attach to the head of the humerus and cover it like a « cap »). It can be a « degenerative » tendonitis of the rotator cuff. This can also be the seat of calcifications. It can also break, partially or totally.

• a cyst, which compresses one of the nerves in the shoulder;
• of one rheumatoid arthritis ;
• of one bursitisinflammation of the bursa, a pocket of fluid that helps lubricate the joint;
• of one neurological condition ;
• of one shoulder osteoarthritisosteoarthritis (much less common than osteoarthritis of the hip or knee);
• of one shoulder capsulitis (frozen shoulder), a common inflammation, especially in women over 50;
• arthritis;
• a tumour;
• etc

To preserve your comfort and avoid any deleterious consequences, do not delay in consulting a doctor or a rheumatologist if you suffer from shoulder pain. First, a general practitioner will establish a diagnosis based on your history, the location of the pain, its intensity and the symptoms associated with it (stiffness, inflammation, discomfort and impact on daily life, etc.). If necessary, he can offer you a complete assessment and various medical examinations: X-ray, ultrasound, scanner, MRI, etc.).

The treatment for shoulder pain depends on its cause. Whatever its origin (mechanical, traumatic, etc.), it is generally based on taking painkillers (paracetamol, etc.) or anti-inflammatories (ketoprofen or ibuprofen, etc) which relieve pain in the shoulder.

From cortisone injections may also be considered depending on the case (triamcinolone or bethamethasone, for example).

If it’s a sprain or tendonitisrest is essential, no question of mobilizing your shoulder unnecessarily! The application of cold is also recommended.

The doctor can prescribe functional rehabilitation sessions (physiotherapy) :

• as part of a purely medical treatment without surgery (it may be enough to relieve the patient);
• before surgery;
• after shoulder surgery. Post-operative rehabilitation is then essential to recover the mobility of the shoulder.

Goal ? relieve pain, recover good muscle strengthand good shoulder mobility. The physiotherapist follows the instructions of the doctor or surgeon: rehabilitation takes place in the office or in the hospital during hospitalization in follow-up and rehabilitation care, after an intervention.

The surgical intervention is only considered as a last resort, in particular in the event of tendon ruptures or mechanical problems between the tendons of the rotator cuff and the acromion (protuberance of the spine of the scapula) or in the event of severe osteoarthritis , when the installation of a prosthesis becomes essential. In the end, the choice to operate (or not) a patient depends on his age, his motivation, the state of his tendons and muscles and any associated diseases.