Symptoms of shoulder arthrosis

Arthrosis, i.e. the wear and tear of cartilage in the shoulder (omarthrosis), causes the glenoid cavity and the head of humerus to rub directly against each other. At the beginning of the disease, the complaints are often unspecific, often shoulder pain occurs during rest phases or pain in the right or left arm after exertion or at night. Later, lying on the affected shoulder also becomes very painful, and certain movements lead to pain symptoms and a loss of strength in the shoulder.

This results in limited mobility in everyday life, whether carrying or lifting, washing hair or doing sports, many activities become painful and torture. A crackling or crunching in the shoulder is often felt when the arm is stretched forward or lifted above the head. In addition to the pain in the shoulder, restrictions in rotational movements and lateral abduction are often observed in osteoarthritis.

The shoulder joint may also be swollen as a result of the arthrosis. However, the joint is surrounded by strong muscles, which is why it is often difficult to determine the swelling with certainty. In the further course of the disease, general restrictions of movement may occur. In many cases, shoulder arthrosis also affects neighbouring joints, for example in the acromioclavicular joint (connection between the outer end of the collarbone and the upper end of the shoulder blade). In the advanced stage of arthrosis, the shoulder joint may be relieved of pain and its functions may be considerably restricted.

Symptoms of knee arthrosis

The typical symptom of knee joint arthrosis (gonarthrosis) is pain in the knee when climbing stairs and when walking on unpaved paths. These symptoms are not very specific and are often not recognized as symptoms of osteoarthritis. Usually, the knee pain is very severe at the beginning of a movement (so-called starting pain), then slowly subsides and reappears when the strain is sustained (so-called stress pain).

Pain behind the kneecap is often complained of after long periods of sitting. In addition, crunching or cracking rubbing noises can occur during knee movements. Those affected also report an increased sensitivity to damp-cold weather.

The knee joint can also be swollen, overheated, reddened and deformed. The severe pain and swelling often lead to the knee joint being spared, which after a short time can lead to a measurable decrease in muscle tone and reduced mobility. As a result, the stability of the knee is impaired and the pain is intensified, the situation is made worse by a vicious circle. The more advanced the knee joint arthrosis is, the more frequent the pain, which can then also occur at rest or at night. In addition, the mobility of the knee decreases more and more, and in rare cases the knee becomes stiff due to the arthrosis.