Shoulder Arthritis

Q: I’m a 43 year old athlete and I’ve been diagnosed with (osteo)arthritis of the shoulder.

A: I empathize! I have arthritis in my left shoulder. It probably started with an aikido injury 8 years ago and was compounded by over-use.

I don’t know the details of your particular situation, but here is a general strategy for this type of arthritis.

Trauma often lays the groundwork for an early presentation of arthritis. It's actually quite common, esp in athletes. There are things you can do to decrease the progression of arthritis, but we still can't make it disappear.

-Strengthen and stretch muscles in the area to create a responsive/stabilizing environment for the joint. The more effective the muscles are at dealing with the brunt of physical stress, the more they will protect the joint.

-Get soft tissue work and appropriate manipulation of joints, and neighboring joints, to keep the area as functional as possible. The goal is to decrease the compressive forces on the joint that come from scar tissue, joint locking, and soft tissue binding. We want our muscles to be strong, supple, and to support our structure. They can’t be responsive/effective if they aren’t functioning well.

-Glucosamine/chondroitin supplements seem to help many people

-General decrease in inflammation through turmeric, omega 3s, and ginger seems to help some people

Arthritis ultimately robs the joint of its range of motion.

The bottom line is use it (without over-using) or lose it. There is a fine balance in that...and it’s different for each person.

Consult a health care provider that understands and has experience with this condition.

Don’t give up! This situation can be frustrating and we tend to think of injuries and their sequelae as linear processes. They actually cycle through good and bad periods. We can do a lot to influence these processes.

Plus, stem cell research may find the key to cartilage re-growth.