50+ Lifestyles

Are You Suffering from Shoulder Pain?

By Karen McCoy
Marketing Consultant at Ridgecrest Village

If you are suffering from shoulder pain, you might have Osteoarthritis.

According to the Arthritis Foundation there are two types of Osteoarthritis, primary and secondary. Primary has no specific cause but is related to age, genes and gender. Primary OA is usually seen in people over the age of 50, and women are affected more often than men. Secondary OA has a known cause or influencing factor, such as previous history of shoulder dislocations, infection, or rotator cuff tears. Having certain occupations, such as heavy construction, or participating in overhead sports can also put you at higher risk of developing shoulder OA.

There are several symptoms of Osteoarthritis. Pain is the most common and can be aggravated by activity and worsens over time. As the disease progresses, the pain continues when you are at rest and interferes with sleep. The pain can be felt at the back or top of the shoulder, and may feel a deep ache that can radiate up the side of the neck. Other common symptoms can be limited motion and stiffness and loss of range of motion. This means that you can’t lift your arm to wash your hair or get something down off a shelf. You could also hear and feel grinding and clicking noises as you move your shoulder.

When you go to your doctor to find out if you have Osteoarthritis your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. During the exam they will look for different signs to determine if and what type of Osteoarthritis you may have. Your doctor will evaluate muscle strength and mobility, both for active and passive ranges of motion, and look at other joints with signs of arthritis. The doctor will discuss any new or old injuries and check if you have tenderness, swelling or joint enlargement. Your doctor will likely order X-rays. If you have Osteoarthritis, they will most likely see joint-space narrowing, changes in the bone, and the formation of bone spurs (osteophytes).

Dr. Ryan Dunlay from ORA Orthopedics will be a guest speaker at Ridgecrest Village. He will be speaking about Osteoarthritis symptoms and treatment.

Join us September 18th for another of our Educational Series Lunch-n-Learns.

When: Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Where: Ridgecrest Koning Center

Featured Speaker: Dr. Ryan Dunlay, ORA Orthopedics

Topic: Shoulder Arthritis

12:00pm Lunch $5.00

1:30pm Program Starts – no charge

Light Refreshments following the program

RSVP by September 16th by calling Karen McCoy at 563-388-3563

The program will be held in the Koning Center at Ridgecrest Village

4130 Northwest Blvd., Davenport, IA 52806

Submitted by: Karen McCoy, Marketing Consultant for Ridgecrest Village in Davenport, Iowa. For more information about Ridgecrest Village, contact Karen at 563-388-3563