Austin’s Shoulder Arthritis Specialists

Painful shoulder movement that limits motion and ability to perform day-to-day tasks can hinder your ability to live your life.

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Statistics & Treatment Options.

Shoulder arthritis affects up to 33% of adults over the age of 60. Although not as common as arthritis in the hips and knees, shoulder arthritis is every bit as painful and limiting. Austin Orthopedic Institute offers a range of shoulder arthritis treatment options, from conservative care like injections to joint replacement.

What Are the Symptoms of Shoulder Arthritis?

Shoulder arthritis refers to any type of arthritis in your shoulder joint. The most common form of shoulder arthritis is osteoarthritis, with other, less-common types including rheumatoid arthritis and post-traumatic arthritis. All types of shoulder arthritis can cause symptoms that include:

Pain in the shoulder joint
Stiffness in or around the shoulder
A “popping” or “clicking” sensation in the shoulder joint
A reduced range of motion in the shoulder

If you experience symptoms that indicate shoulder arthritis, schedule a visit with us as soon as possible. Your provider will evaluate your symptoms, diagnose your arthritis, and create a personalized treatment plan for your unique injury.

How is Shoulder Arthritis Treated?

Austin Orthopedic Institute uses a range of approaches when treating shoulder arthritis. Usually, your provider will begin with conservative (non-surgical) treatments – if the problem persists, surgery could be the right option.

Anti-Inflammatory Medication

These medications work to diminish inflammation and relieve pain around the shoulder joint. There are a wide variety of these medications, including over-the-counter and prescription medications.

Steroid Joint Injections

Steroid injections can significantly reduce the pain of mild to moderate arthritis.

Joint injections take just 3-5 days to start working. Though they’re only a temporary solution, they last much longer than oral medication, often 6 months or longer. They also tend to have a more profound reduction in symptoms. If you’re not ready for a shoulder replacement, this is often a good solution to improve milder symptoms or simply buy time.

Physical Therapy

With arthritis, it’s common to have serious shoulder pain and stiffness. You probably avoid moving too much due to the pain. Unfortunately, lack of joint movement typically only worsens symptoms.

Physical therapy helps you learn safe and effective ways to move your shoulder without causing pain or worsening the joint damage. It usually can improve overall function as well.

Arthroscopic Surgery

Arthroscopic surgery is a simple procedure in which your provider makes a small surgical incision and uses an arthroscope to see the inside of your shoulder joint through a tiny, built-in camera. Athroscopically removing spurs, smoothing cartilage, and releasing tight capsular tissues can significantly improve pain and function in some patients. In many cases patients can delay larger surgery like joint replacement.

Joint Replacement

During a shoulder joint replacement, some or all of the damaged joint is removed, and highly engineered plastic and metal components are placed in those areas. This is like putting new tires on your car, leading to dramatic improvement in shoulder function while reducing pain. Partial, total, and reverse shoulder replacement are the three types of shoulder replacement and all are offered at AOI.

Which Shoulder Arthritis Treatment is Right For Me?

A combination of treatments, such as medication and physical therapy or surgery and physical therapy, is frequently a good choice for shoulder arthritis.

However, Austin Orthopedic Institute recognizes that every patient is different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Your provider will discuss your treatment options with you and explain them in detail.