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Shoulder Arthritis: Understanding Your Options

Treatment for shoulder arthritis, from symptom relief to replacement when appropriate.

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Shoulder arthritis can cause pain, stiffness and sleep disruption. Decisions are based on symptoms, examination and imaging—not X-rays alone.

Recognizing shoulder arthritis

Common concerns include difficulty reaching overhead or behind the back, aching at night, and increasing stiffness. Shoulder arthritis may follow ordinary joint degeneration, an old injury, inflammatory disease or long-standing rotator cuff dysfunction.

Start with the least invasive effective option

Management may include changes in activities, a targeted rehabilitation program, pain-relief medications when appropriate, and selected injections. Benefits, drawbacks and medical contraindications should be reviewed with your clinician.

When replacement enters the conversation

Persistent pain and declining function despite a reasonable course of conservative care can prompt a conversation about replacement. An intact cuff may favor anatomic replacement, whereas severe cuff deficiency may favor reverse replacement. The decision depends on much more than age alone.

What Dr. Haber will evaluate

Dr. Haber reviews symptoms, motion, strength, previous therapies and imaging; discusses what outcomes are important to you; and explains appropriate nonsurgical and surgical options.

Common questions

Can physical therapy help shoulder arthritis?

Therapy can help preserve or improve function and address associated weakness or stiffness for some patients, although it does not reverse advanced cartilage loss.

Will a shoulder injection prevent surgery?

An injection may provide temporary symptom relief for some patients; it does not rebuild damaged cartilage. Your clinician can review benefits, timing and risks.