shoulder OA

[Floridalifestyle3866]

I have OA in the feet and had surgery. I have it in the hips and will need this surgery too. Now I have it in my shoulder. I know the treatments available for the hip and feet but don't know what is possible for shoulder surgery. Can anyone share any insights and/or tips? Thank you.

[DorsetLady]

Replacement surgery most certainly available… had mine done in Feb 2020… just before Covid lockdown in UK. Very successful.. in my case.

This is info from your side pond -

hopkinsmedicine.org/health/....

And this is something I wrote a couple of years ago about replacements in general - it’s on another forum, but you can still access it -

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk....

[Floridalifestyle3866 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks so much for this insight. I heard shots don't help with shoulder OA. Glad to see reviews and fairly positive about having surgery. Glad your surgery worked well. Really appreciate this.

[DorsetLady in reply to Floridalifestyle3866]

I did have cortisol injections in shoulder -probably about 4 or 5 (3 initially for another issues) -some more successful than others.

Not sure about US, but in UK you can only have 3 in a 12 month period- and too many may damage the rotator cuff as I discovered when I did get replacement.

[Floridalifestyle3866 in reply to DorsetLady]

That is good to know about the potential complication with the rotator cuff. I have had the shots in my foot that is impacted by OA. So are you staying that the shot caused damage to your rotator cuff that made it a more involved surgery for you than it would have been if you didn't get the shots? This would be important for me to consider. I really appreciate your help.

[DorsetLady in reply to Floridalifestyle3866]

It didn’t make the surgery more complicated as such. The surgeon just told me afterwards that he had “tweaked” the RC whilst ”in there”-in fact he’d put a couple of stitches in it.

All good..

[Happyrosie]

my husband had steroid injections once which worked for a few months. Has now had successful surgery on both shoulders.

[Floridalifestyle3866 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thanks so much for sharing the success story. Glad it worked for him

[lowraind]

I find that Mayo Clinic, John's Hopkins University and Cleveland Clinic have the most helpful information for pretty much anything that I am dealing with healthwise.

[Blackknight1989]

I’ve had bilateral knee replacement, hip replacement and both ankles fused (not sure an ankle can be replaced as such, like a normal joint intersection of two bone…) had the first knee done in 2003, hips in ‘09 and ‘10 and second knee in 2012 all previous to my 46th birthday…I only mention my age to say that for several years prior to such major surgery one usually tries to avoid the replacements at least until an age closer to 60 or so…however, for me, it just wasn’t possible. Genetically, I was born with what is commonly referred to as “bowed legs” and that coupled with early onset severe (stage 4/5) osteoarthritis caused joint destruction commonly associated with advanced old age to start to affect my health in my early 20s and leading to the bilateral knee replacements, bilateral hip replacements and bilateral ankle fusions prior to age 46. I had 7 prior surgeries on my right knee to try to avoid a replacement at such an early age to include a high Tibial osteotomy (where the tibia or shin bone is surgically broken a device called and external fixator is attached using 4 large bone screws) two screws adjacent to or just below the knee joint and the other two about 10” lower on the bone toward the ankle {to span the break in the tibia}. These screws are attached to a device with a screw like knob on the bottom that you turn 1/4 turn (or 1 “click”) daily that helps widen the break as it heals. That is necessary to help “lengthen” the bone, by expanding the break your body will grow additional bone (more then the typical amount just to heal the break in the tibia) to not only fix the broken bone but lengthen the tibia on the inside of the leg to straighten the “bow” back to a more normal configuration. This procedure had limited success in that it probably bought me 2/3 extra years prior to replacements but wasn’t the success hoped for long term. So frustrated with the number of surgeries and knowing the best fix would be a replacement, I started in earnest in 2009 (first knee in ‘03 was a surprise but an unavoidable bump in the road just to be able to stand and walk) to plan out a 3/4 joint replacement strategy. These are not necessarily hard surgeries to recover from but they are time consuming recoveries that I thought would be best planned around my “regular life” so I would be able to rehab the joints to the best of my ability and the best that medical technology allowed for post TKA, THA etc…

All that to say, I’ve had many steroid joint injections, in shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, hips, etc…and it has been my experience that in joints that’s are not weight bearing the shots helped for only a few weeks 4 or 5 at most. In weight bearing joints, not nearly as helpful, sometimes I’d get a shot on Monday and by the weekend, the pain returned…not as severe that usually took a month or so but a disappointment nonetheless.

So my experience is shots DO HELP in OA in the shoulder, just not for very long. Complete (or nearly complete) pain relief for 7-10 days, with pain returning gradually over the next couple weeks until no relief by say 4/5 weeks post shot. Additionally, after 2/3 injections the initial relief period is not as long as with the first time injections and pain comes back (in my experience) much quicker. I promise I am not trying to be NEGATIVE NED just hoping to give you one persons experience with severe, early-onset OA that has thus far destroyed both knee, hip, ankle, and shoulder (unfortunately now at my advanced age of 58) joints as well as my c6-c8 vertebrae. In fact the pain and mobility limitations caused by my old man’s arthritis along with the 2020 COVID lockdown forced me to close my small business I built in my 20’s and have run for almost 30 years due to my near total disability. I cannot walk more then 5/10 feet without aid of an assistance device (walker or wheelchair) and if I want to go outside, go for a drive, go fishing etc it’s not only a planned event it is also with the addition of a helper/caregiver to make it a smooth operation. I do hate the feeling of being a burden which my wife and kids insist I’m not but I’m not dumb or oblivious either and know that anytime I must leave the house, it’s an event for at least another person maybe two…However, I am truly blessed as my wife is ALWAYS willing to help in any and every way and my adult kids though just 28 and 23 are willing to drop their normal daily activities is and come help dad get out of the house…truly blessed. Probably TMI but I ramble so my apologies, the shots help but lose effectiveness shortly thereafter so much so that while I had them as often as possible from 2010-2016, I’ve not had any since 2016…just not worth the hassle of what I described above every 3/4 months and not worth sitting in a Orthopod’s office waiting room for the 1-2 hours just to get two jabs that take 30 seconds. Just my personal opinion, I appreciate your indulgence of my long-windedness and I wish you all the best with health and happiness in the new year!