How do you make a diagnosis of shoulder arthritis?

After taking a concise and directed medical history, your shoulder will be examined.

During the examination, I will look for:

Wasting of the muscles

Swelling and redness

Pain to touch or palpation

Range of motion

Crepitus (grinding) with movement

Signs of previous injuries

Involvement of other joints (an indication of rheumatoid arthritis)

Radiological imaging such as X-Rays and CT scans will give information about the bones and loss of cartilage. MRI scan may be necessary in some cases to look at the soft tissues of the shoulder, particularly the rotator cuff tendons.