What is shoulder osteoarthritis (OA)?

What is shoulder osteoarthritis (OA)?

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the shoulder (known as the gleno-humeral joint) causes pain and restriction in movement of the shoulder. It is often worse in the mornings and improves with gentle activity and exercise. It can cause you to wake up at night with pain. Pain is aggravated by moving your arm out to the side and above your head. Shoulder osteoarthritis predominantly effects those over 50 years of age, women more commonly than men and those with a familial history. It is diagnosed using a series of clinical tests and imaging. Osteoarthritis is best managed with physiotherapy, however if the pain is too severe to carry out exercise based treatment and/or is waking you at night then an ultrasound guided steroid injection is a very effective treatment option for rapid pain relief.

What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the shoulder?

The symptoms of osteoarthritis of the shoulder are:

Pain and stiffness of the shoulder- often quite diffuse, achy pain deep in the joint
Intermittent sharp pan with overhead movements and associated grinding and audible cracking/clicking in the joint
Pain is worse in the morning and eases with gentle movement

This video should not serve as a replacement for professional health or medical advice.
Always consult a health professional before starting a new exercise or fitness programme.
Please stop and consult a physiotherapist if these exercises cause you pain.