Therapeutic target
- Relief of symptoms
Therapy recommendations
- For non-active osteoarthritis of the acromioclavicular joint (acromioclavicular joint): analgesic/pain reliever acetaminophen (best tolerated).
- In activated osteoarthritis of the acromioclavicular joint (abraded cartilage or bone inflamed): non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), e.g., selective COX-2 inhibitors (e.g., etoricoxib) or diclofenac [no long-term therapy!].
- If necessary, glucocorticoids; the effect of intra-articular (“into the joint cavity”) injection is not ensured, but can be administered in case of otherwise uncontrollable inflammation.
General notes
- Intravenous administration (administration) does not provide advantages over oral administration.
- Continuous therapy should not be used.
- Different NSAIDs should not be combined!
- Alternative therapy for high cardiovascular/gastrointestinal risk → conventional NSAIDs + low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) + proton pump inhibitors (PPI; acid blockers) (recommendation of the Drug Commission of the German Medical Association).