Medical experts have reported that if you think you may have developed Postarthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis, (PAGCL), a painful condition caused by the deterioration of cartilage (a dense connective tissue that, among other things, allows movement in joints) around the shoulder area, there are several things you should do. Here’s what they recommend:
See your doctor
While this is always the obligatory first step and fairly obvious to most, it’s important to see your doctor right away as he or she can take an x-ray to determine how much, if any, cartilage has deteriorated in your shoulder. From there, your doctor can recommend whether prescribing anti-inflammatory medications will help or if further surgery is a viable option.
In some cases, patients must undergo a procedure known as arthoplasty which reconstructs the shoulder using metal and plastic parts to replace the damaged shoulder joint. However, this option is obviously major surgery and may require a great deal of recovery time.
Understand your symptoms
As any medical professional will tell you, shoulder pain can be the result of a variety of factors including bursitis, arthritis, rotator cuff tear, tendonitis – and the list goes on and on. To determine if you have PAGCL, consider whether you have any of these symptoms:
Shoulder pain whether in motion or at rest
A narrowing of the joint space in the shoulder area (which will be detected on an x-ray)
Clicking, popping or grinding of the shoulder (called Crepitus)
Shoulder stiffness or weakness
Decreased range of motion
Medical experts who understand PAGCL say that these symptoms generally occur between three months to a year after someone has had shoulder surgery and used a pain pump directly afterwards to manage the pain during recovery.
Multiple sources all over the web.
