Calcific Tendinitis: What Is It Caused By and When Is It Treated?

Calcific tendinitis is a condition that causes sharp pain a joint, when calcium deposits form around the tendons and then break free, triggering inflammation. It usually hits the rotator cuff and can affect either or both shoulders.

To date, no definitive cause for calcific tendinitis has been identified. Several possibilities have been eliminated from the list of possible causes. It’s not triggered by too much calcium in the diet; people with the condition have normal calcium levels in their blood workup. Don’t limit your calcium intake if you have calcific tendinitis because you could increase your risk of osteoporosis as your body makes up the lack by scavenging it from your bones.

In a few cases, metabolic conditions have been fingered as the triggering cause for calcific Tendinitis. Sometimes kidney problems have also been indicated (or calcific Tendinitis has been seen as a symptom of kidney conditions, as the kidney is one of the major filters for calcium in the blood stream. Overuse of the shoulder doesn’t trigger calcific tendon either; it can cause rotator cuff wear and tear, but that’s not the same condition and calcium deposits are not present.

May be related to age

Some have speculated that calcific tendinitis does have some increased propensity to occur as we age, since most people under the age of 30 do not have calcium deposits in their tendons.

Symptoms

Most cases of calcific tendinitis are asymptomatic, until the calcium deposits break up and cause inflammation. The most common symptom (before inflammation) is when you have difficulty raising your arm above your shoulder level, triggered by the calcium deposit rubbing inside the rotator cuff. This is sometimes called “shoulder impingement syndrome”.

In addition, calcium crystals may shed off of the deposits and cause the tendons to become acutely inflamed. Oftentimes, people aren’t even aware they have calcific tendinitis until they experience this kind of attack. Surprisingly, though, this is also when the calcium deposits can be reabsorbed by the body.

Sudden onset

Calcific Tendinitis has a quick trigger point, rather than small amounts of pain that gradually worsen. Most cases, when it triggers, it’s because the calcium crystals have broken free; the symptoms go away within a week or two as they’re re-absorbed by the body.

If you visit your doctor during a bout of acute calcific Tendinitis, it can be seen on an X-ray. Most treatments are taking over the counter inflammation relievers and icing the shoulder or joint. Performing range of motion exercises to keep the shoulder limber is also recommended; it prevents the ‘locked shoulder’ syndrome, and helps you avoid losing muscle mass.

For particularly severe pain, your doctor can give you a steroid or cortisone injection; in extreme cases, arthroscopic surgery can be recommended to break up the calcium nodule and extract it with a syringe.

Tom Nicholson has spent years helping sufferers of carpal tunnel syndrome. Please follow this link to find out more aboutcalcific tendinitis.

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