Restricted movement

With shoulder arthrosis, the freedom of movement of the shoulder in all directions is increasingly lost over the course of the disease. Particularly typical of shoulder arthrosis at the beginning are increasing problems when working above the head or during external rotation and reaching backwards. A similar picture is seen with the so-called calcified shoulder. Those affected by shoulder arthrosis begin to avoid certain movements with the pain that sets in during movement, which results in additional restriction and accelerated stiffening of the shoulder. You can find exercises to counteract the lost freedom of movement in the article Mobilization exercises.

Loss of strength in advanced arthrosis

If the arthrosis has already progressed to such an extent that the inflammation has also spread to surrounding tissue and muscle and nerve tissue is also affected by the arthrosis due to the structural changes, there may be a clearly noticeable loss of strength in the affected arm. Especially after an accident, a rotator cuff rupture should also be excluded. Even if the patient adopts a relieving posture due to severe pain and the muscles of the arm and shoulder are subjected to less and less stress, this can lead to a loss of strength. Overall, the loss of strength restricts the persons affected by shoulder arthrosis even more in their everyday life and the quality of life deteriorates significantly.

Pain during simple strengthening exercises

In the context of therapy for shoulder arthrosis, pain can occur during physiotherapy for shoulder arthrosis as well as during post-operative treatment for a completed operation. The causes of the pain, which occurs mainly during strengthening exercises, can be different: it is important that the patient should not exercise beyond the pain threshold and, if necessary, stop the exercise. If the pain persists in spite of stopping, the cause should be clarified by the doctor.

Overall, it makes sense to take sufficient breaks between the individual strengthening exercises to give the shoulder time for rehabilitation and not to overstrain it with too many stimuli. It is important that the strengthening exercises are supervised by an experienced therapist and are individually tailored to the patient’s needs.

Incorrect exercise execution,
Unconscious movements
Weights too high
The shoulder joint is still very weak due to the long resting phase and must first be slowly and gradually brought back to the load.