When you’ve had pain in your shoulder on and off for quite some time, you may wonder if it could be arthritis. This is especially the case since shoulder arthritis is chronic and can progressively worsen over time, making it a concerning condition to develop. Fortunately, at the Integrated Health and Injury Center, serving Decatur, Atlanta, and the surrounding areas, we may evaluate you for signs of arthritis and intervene as necessary with the use of natural treatments.
You’re Aging
Our chiropractor serving Decatur and Atlanta would like you to know that your risk of shoulder arthritis increases as you age. If you’re a male, you’re more likely to develop arthritis before the age of 45. On the other hand, women over the age of 45 experience this condition at a higher rate. Therefore, if you’re approaching your 40s or 50s, that chronic pain in your shoulder could be arthritis.
You Have a Parent With It
If you have a parent with shoulder arthritis, your risk increases.
While rheumatoid arthritis doesn’t tend to affect the shoulder joints, it can happen. And with this particular form of arthritis, you do have a greater risk of developing it if you have a close relation with it, though environmental factors tend to play a greater role. Additionally, osteoarthritis itself isn’t hereditary. However, your parents may pass down a gene that makes you more prone to this condition. For instance, your heredity affects the durability of your cartilage. If you have weaker cartilage, your chances of osteoarthritis are higher. The exact genetic pattern of osteoarthritis currently isn’t known.
Are Female
Women have a greater chance of developing shoulder arthritis than a man. Therefore, you may want to get your shoulder assessed for arthritis if you’re a woman who’s experiencing pain in your shoulder frequently.
Are Overweight
It makes sense that arthritis in your lower joints is worse if you’re overweight, considering the excess pressure you’re placing on those joints. If you’re overweight or obese, though, your risk of shoulder arthritis is also increased and could be making the arthritis worse.
When you have excess body weight, you have more inflammation. With arthritis, you already have high cytokine levels, and the inflammation is only worsening it.
Have Had a Dislocation or Other Injury in the Past
An injury can cause permanent damage to your joint. As a result, it becomes more susceptible to arthritis in the future. You might not notice right away that you have arthritis. It could take several years to manifest.
Had a Joint Infection
If you’re ever had an infection in your shoulder joint, your likelihood of arthritis is higher. Like an injury, the infection can damage the joint as well.
Repeatedly Use the Joint
That pain could be arthritis if you repeatedly use or used that joint during sports or work. Repetitive stress is known to damage the joint.
How a Chiropractor Helps
A chiropractor in Decatur or Atlanta will examine your shoulder first. The practitioner will ask you to move your shoulder to evaluate your range of motion. Part of the exam will also include looking for any signs of redness and manually feeling the area for tenderness.
Our chiropractor may recommend an X-ray or other imaging to view inside the joint. With an X-ray, our practitioner may assess the cartilage at the end of the bones and check the space in between the bones of the shoulder joint.
Next, our practitioner might recommend physical therapy in Decatur or Atlanta. Both of our practices are set up for this. The treatment consists of our practitioner guiding you through exercises to keep the joints working. Sometimes, we recommend natural pain-relief methods as well.
Through a self-assessment, you can determine if your likelihood of shoulder arthritis is greater than average. You can then decide if you should visit our chiropractor for your shoulder pain. When you visit our chiropractor in Decatur or Atlanta, you can know for certain if your pain is from arthritis or another cause and receive a customized treatment approach for your condition.
Book an appointment with Integrated Health and Injury, serving Decatur, Atlanta, and the surrounding areas, to figure out if your pain is arthritis or another cause. Call us at:
Decatur – 404-288-9000
Atlanta – 404-691-4822
You may also use our form.