Your acromioclavicular (AC) joint is the joint in the shoulder where your clavicle meets your shoulder blade. The part of the shoulder blade that connects with the clavicle is called the acromion, hence the name acromioclavicular joint. Cartilage between the bones helps this joint move freely, but if this cartilage ends up breaking down, these bones can rub against one another, leading to range of motion restrictions and pain. This is known as AC joint arthritis, and we take a closer look at why cartilage in the AC joint may wear down and how the condition can be treated in today’s blog.
What Causes AC Joint Arthritis?
AC joint arthritis, also known as osteoarthritis, is quite common, especially in older individuals or in those who regularly put a lot of strain on their shoulder joints. That’s because the most common underlying cause of AC joint arthritis is normal wear and tear. Over decades of use, all that strain on your shoulder joint adds up, and it can gradually lead to the degeneration of the protective cartilage in the joint. Natural aging and normal wear and tear are two of the most common underlying factors that lead to AC joint osteoarthritis, so it’s not always something that can be completely prevented. AC joint arthritis can also be exacerbated by a shoulder injury or due to intense shoulder strain, which can occur in athletes and weightlifters.
So while AC joint arthritis can’t be completely prevented, that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to suffer from the condition. Although the majority of people will experience some natural cartilage degeneration later in life, mild osteoarthritis isn’t always symptomatic. When the condition progresses, symptoms typically involve:
- Pain
- Range of motion restrictions
- Stiffness
- Tenderness on the top of your shoulder
- Swelling
- Symptoms that worsen with activity or reaching tasks
How To Treat AC Joint Arthritis
If you’re starting to deal with one or more of the symptoms listed above, consider having a conversation with your primary care physician or a shoulder specialist. Even though some cartilage degeneration is to be expected as you age, that doesn’t mean you should ignore symptoms and accept them as a normal part of aging, because ignoring a small issue can lead to more severe symptoms down the road. Oftentimes AC joint arthritis can be diagnosed by talking with your doctor about your symptoms and with the help of a physical evaluation. Your doctor may opt to confirm their suspicions or better understand the degree of cartilage deterioration by visualizing the area with an X-ray or MRI.
If AC joint arthritis is the diagnosis, your first treatment course will more than likely involve a combination of conservative techniques. Your doctor may recommend that you pursue a combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, heat pads, controlled exercise and physical therapy to help improve comfortable range of motion at the joint. They may also recommend that you avoid certain overhead or strenuous activities that could lead to worsening symptoms.
If those techniques fail to improve your condition, more hands-on treatments may be considered. Corticosteroid injections can help to calm inflammation and make it easier to pursue physical therapy techniques, or an arthroscopic operation to debride the site and promote faster healing may be considered. Your doctor can provide you with more information about either of these techniques should it progress to this point, but for most patients with mild or moderate AC joint arthritis, conservative treatments and activity modifications provide enough relief such that surgery does not become necessary.
If you’re dealing with any of the above symptoms, or you want to talk to a shoulder specialist about any symptoms you’re experiencing, reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
