Arthritis is a disease characterized by the wear and tear of the cartilage that cushions the friction of the bones in the joints and can occur in different parts of the body, such as the knees, elbows, fingers and shoulders. The discomfort caused by this disease can be relieved with some exercises that you will learn about in this article.
According to international media specialized in the area of health, specifically in the shoulder —which is the link that joins the humerus with the shoulder blade and the clavicle, and is made up of three bones—, there are two joints that can be affected by this disease: Cartilage wear can occur both at the junction of the clavicle and shoulder blade and at the humerus and scapula.
According to the portal Top Doctors Spain, there are different types of arthritis that impact this part of the body. One is osteoarthritis, which is a result of wear and tear on cartilage, leading to bones rubbing together. It usually affects patients over 50 years of age.
There is also rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects joints throughout the body. It causes the synovial membrane that lines the joints to become inflamed.
Another type is the one that occurs due to a rotator cuff tear; post-traumatic, which develops after an injury and, lastly, vascular necrosis, caused by an alteration in the blood supply to the head of the humerus.
Although these are painful diseases, the practice of exercise helps mitigate the effects and improve the condition that often causes disability and whose main symptoms are pain, stiffness, swelling, redness and decreased range of motion, according to the Library National Medicine of the United States.
Here are some exercise alternatives:
- Shoulder elevation stretch
This exercise improves the range of motion in the shoulder joints and stretches the muscles. To do so, the person must:
– Lie on your back.
– Hold a stick or cane with both hands and keep it at shoulder distance.
– Place the stick on the thighs.
– Slowly raise the stick above the chest, then over the head so that it almost touches the ground above the head. Keep your arms as straight as possible at all times.
– Lower the stick slowly down on the thighs.
– Perform three sets of 10 repetitions once a day.
- shoulder blade rotations
This rotation stretches the shoulders to promote increased range of motion. To do this exercise you must:
– Stand in a neutral position with your hands at your sides.
– Raise your shoulders towards your ears and hold them for five seconds.
– Slightly squeeze the shoulder blades and hold for five seconds.
– Lower the shoulder blades and hold for five seconds.
– Repeat 10 times.
- pendulum exercises
This activity helps relieve pain and relax the shoulder muscles.
– Lean forward and rest one hand on a chair or cabinet for support and balance. Use the arm that has less pain to do it.
– Let the other hand hang down.
– With movement of the legs and hips, gently move the hanging hand back and forth, and from side to side, in a circular motion.
– Repeat this 30 times in each direction, once a day.
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