Shoulder joints generally have less risk of arthritis compared to knee joints where the body weight is applied. Approximately 20% of the elder population is suffering from shoulder arthritis. Although shoulder joints arthritis can occur without special predisposing factors, the common causes of shoulder arthritis are shoulder damage in the past such as fracture, instability, chronic rotator cuff tear or surgery.

Symptoms
Shoulder arthritis patients usually experience pain with activities and limited range of motion such as difficulty in lifting arms while brushing or washing hair.
Diagnosis
It is required to check the severity of arthritis and the presence of associated abnormalities through X-ray. Depending on the cases, CT or MRI scan is performed to identify the degree of deformity on joints & bones and the causes of arthritis by confirming the presence of chronic rotator cut tear or SLAP (Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posteria) lesion.
Treatment
Regardless of the causes, initial treatment must be focused on eliminating symptoms of arthritis as well as functional recovery of a shoulder at the same time. Non-surgical treatments such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory analgesic, and localized joint steroid or hyaluronate injections can help improve symptoms, whose effect is quite limited for advanced cases of arthritis. In this case, total joint replacement surgery can greatly reduce the pain of arthritis and restore the original function of a shoulder