AC Joint Arthritis, advice much appreciated!

Bumping this message just in case anyone does have experience of this.

I have some arthritis in my right shoulder and quite a lot on my knees.

For lifting having my own basement gym helps as I have been able to tailor my equipment. I have a kabuki kadillac bar for bench pressing, puts the shoulders in a much more comfortable position, using dumbbells can have the same affect, hold them at about 45 degrees. Same for shoulder presses don't use a barbell use dumbbells again think about the arc of movement and utilising the muscles without stressing the joint, I do more front, lateral and rear delt raises than presses for my shoulders these days, I find that I can go quite light still stress the muscle and go through a full range of motion without stressing the joint.

For squats use a safety squat bar, that again avoids putting the shoulders in a stressed position as they are with a straight barbell, for deadlifts use a trap bar (or one of the better modern alternatives) although deadlifting isn't as bad I still find the trap bar puts the shoulder in a more comfortable position while hanging heavy weight from my arms.

For pulling movements use a handle that allows rotation (I  have some called angles90) no reason you can't take you own set in a bag to a public gym and attach them to pull down bars etc.

I would largely avoid upper body machines, most force an arc of movement that may or may not be right for your body.

It is of course vital to listen to your body and don't do ego lifts. I find that when my arthritis really flares up, I am still better lifting as the movement helps me recover quicker, but I might cut down to as much as 25% of my normal lifting weight.

Same for cycling, stopping just makes any flare up worse and longer, but that doesn't mean a full day out in the hills is appropriate, this is where the trainer is a godsend, just a 2 or 3 30 minute spins a week at 50-60% to pump blood through the joints will get me back to the proper rides much quicker than doing nothing.

I've had my AC joint decompressed, but the other shoulder is now like a bag of spanners. I do, however, still have cartilage. The decompression worked, but it was 18 months before the pain went. The other shoulder could do with it, but I'm not going through the recovery again.  I don't do gym - I just ride and do a bit of paddling (paddle board etc). That shoulder also has a torn rotator cuff which is very slowly healing (9 months).   

You may have to modify the exercises to stop aggravating the joint.  My shoulder doesn't affect me commuting, road riding or XC/gravel. That might be a different equation if doing uplifts/downhill.

Like has been said, I find moving better. Having not done much cycling over Christmas, my spine and hip are sore (broken both, hip only 12 months ago). Moving helps. Little and often.

Thanks for the replies,

And the advice,it's definitely needed.Im not sure what I've done recently but it's definitely got worse in the last couple of months.I now have pins and needles tingling down my right arm into my hands.Im definitely going to try to modify gym routine,but that'll have to wait until current pain subsides.

Did you ever have the steroid injections?My physio has advised against these as he says I'm too young.

I initially had an injection round into my shoulder, helped for about a month. Then had an anaesthetic in it, wow, it felt like new - that the the cue for the consultant to recommend surgery as I was getting pins and needles. I've also had them into my muscles around the spine, all the way up my back, but only the once as this relieved the 'trigger points'.

I've been persuaded not to have injections into my right shoulder with the torn rotator cuff because it can weaken the tendon as it's badly torn. I was bothered about it snapping. I work with a number of physios so had a lot of free advice and I did pay to see a sports physio at work who gave me exercises to do that strengthened the other muscles and tendons to allow the rotator cuff to heal. 

They only recommend 3 a year and the relief is short term, and they can weaken the skin and tendons. By all means try it to see how much relief you get. I'd be asking about the long term management, and a lot of it is about keeping moving. 

My wife is currently saying am I going back to the physio as my back is playing up a lot - that's from a broken spine aged 46, I'm now 56. I know it's not having done any cycling over Christmas with stuff going on and ice, and of course the cold. I don't see much point as it is arthritis and I know I need to stretch and exercise. Even 30 minutes on the turbo helps.

Certainly ask your doctor/consultant/physio lots of questions.  

Hi Mate, again thanks for the reply.

Before you had the surgery,how much pain was you in and did you have full range of motion?Also did you say pins and needles was the point where you was offered surgery?How long was you suffering with shoulder pain before it was diagnosed.

I have full range of motion with a bit of cracking going off on right side.General pain at the moment is a 3 out of ten,but it is waking me in the night and keeping me awake.Ive not done any gym exercises or biking for two weeks now and though inflammation would have subsided more by now.
If I try to do chest exercises afterwards I would be in agony and constantly rubbing my shoulder and stretching it for day after.

Sorry about asking so many questions,there's just not many people I've come across with shoulder arthritis.

Again many thanks for previous replies too👍

No shoulder issues at present (Had them last year which the physio sorted for me).  Also in the middle of sorting some knee issues which following mri scans and various consultants saying they cant really sort i am seeing great progress with the physio again releasing my lower spine.

Not really relevant but just coming to this from a pain relief, short term point of view.  The physio uses a plug in the walls ultrasound.  I am getting similar results using a pulsio tens/tms machine which i am able to use before, after and pretty much any time i like.  It really is helping and the physio is helping me get the most out of the machine.

No solution but it definately helps, even if its just the basic helping with DOMS.

Really interesting read.  I hit 50 last year and since then have started experiencing pain in both shoulders.  Most of the (day) time they are fine but sleeping causes pain.  I'm a mortgage broker (30yrs) so very office based and spend most of my day in front of a laptop, my GF thinks it is related to desk/chair/keyboard etc and the fact I sit all day, every day. 

I go to the gym and some days, all be good, others, I can move in a particular direction and my shoulder will twinge. If I perform a squat for example with a barbell on my back, the angle of my arms to support the barbell is when I get pain in the middle of my shoulder.  I have had a couple of massages but they don't really help, but they were massages not physios.

Anyone taking any supplements that has eased any pain, not pain killers but Omega Oil, Tumeric etc.

thanks

Stu

My initial shoulder issues started after getting knocked off. Was OK at first but the pain just got worse - was on amitriptyline and it didn't help. Was referred to pain clinic and then shoulder surgeon and it was a MRI that found bone spurs. Think the process was a couple of years, then 18 months recovery. I did go for nerve tests as well, which came back OK, despite the issues. That shoulder is now good

Other shoulder is really crunchy, and has been terrible to sleep on for months, but with physio it's not too bad so long as I'm careful. I was getting pins and needles due to swelling, that's subsided - torn rotator cuff and bicep tendonitis.

See if surgery will improve - need to speak to consultant as surgery can go wrong, so take advice..

Anyone taking any supplements that has eased any pain, not pain killers but Omega Oil, Tumeric etc

There seems to be an understood mechanism and success in double blind trials for curcumin and MSM for osteoarthritis, so I take them, I also take omega 3 anyway. From what I have read glucosamine and chondroitin fail miserably in research, and there is no understood pathway for them to help or any evidence that just because they are components of cartilage that ingesting them is in any way beneficial.

I don't think that taking any supplements will make a noticeable impact from one day to the next, and the nature of arthritis is that it isn't a steady pain but flares and recedes so it is difficult if not impossible to self report the affects of supplements where the known mechanisms are gradual over time, so beware snake oil. For me with curcumin and MSM there is enough evidence for me to take them, but I don't notice the impact so am willing to accept I could be just paying for expensive piss, the pay off is that my arthritis may not be as bad in 10 years time, but that is very hard to prove or measure.

CBD makes no difference in my experience, proper cannabis (which I can get prescribed here in Germany)helps me sleep when the pain flares up, but after a week or so leaves me feeling a different kind of tired, so isn't a long term solution. 

Don't ignore "medicine", for some reason I find diclofenac to be better than ibuprofen, especially rubbing the cream on the affected joint, it does seem to work "locally" but that could be in my head. My doctor prescribes my stronger diclofenac than is available over the counter.

I have had 1 cortisol injection in my knee (that's an injection where you are best not looking and trying to think happy thoughts while staring at the wall) I didn't notice any difference quickly, the pain subdue after a couple of weeks which it may have done anyway, and I also read that it can damage the joint so I haven't had one again.

Hi Stu,

I'd look to getting a X-ray done on your shoulders as that's what showed my cartilage was worn out.
My shoulders hurt doing squats with barbell across my shoulders too.I initially noticed it years ago bench pressing, especially the barbell fully down to my chest.So I'd get a X-ray done just to check not arthritis as I carried on through the pain working out and doing a manual construction job and basically made things a lot worse.👍

I would definately try Volterol (diclofenac) and the stronger 2% thats available OTC. Advantages its just on the area needed and can be used with other meds in a flare up. 

Blooming great stuff that I try and make sure I always have some to hand.