What Is Calcific Tendonitis & What Are The Symptoms?

Health 8 August, 2019

Most people have no idea that what is calcific tendonitis, as this condition is not much known to the majority of us. This is basically a shoulder injury that occurs when your muscles are built up by calcium deposits and this can happen anywhere in the body but it mostly happens in the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is made up of a number of tendons that bonds the muscles around your shoulder to the humerus, which is basically the superior bone of the upper arm. Calcium upsurge in this area can limit the motion in your arm and moreover, it causes pain and discomfort as well. This condition is nowadays very familiar but the reason or cause behind it is still not known and this condition is not related to any sort of injury. This condition is much common in the elderly age people as it usually affects people that are over the age of 40.

There are basically two types of calcific tendonitis of the shoulder which are as follows:

  • Degenerative Calcification

As we get older, the blood flow of the tendons of the rotator cuff starts to decrease which makes the tendon weaker. The wear and tear of aging is considered as the major cause of degenerative calcification. Just because of wear and tear, the fibers of the tendons start to fray and tear as we use our shoulder.

  • Reactive Calcification

This type of calcification is different than the other one and the reason of its occurrence is still not clear enough. This is the main reason behind the shoulder pain as degenerative calcification does not cause much pain. This type of calcification is further divided into the following three stages:

  1. Pre-calcific Stage

In this stage, the tendons changes in such a way that it provides more chances for calcium deposits to form.

  1. Calcific Stage

Here, the calcium crystals are placed into the tendon and then it is been absorbed by the body after which it disappears. This is the stage where pain usually occurs.

  1. Post-calcific stage

This is the last stage where the tendon gets healed and is adjusted with new tissues.

Symptoms of Calcific Tendonitis

You may feel a little pain when the calcium is being deposited or it may be possible that you feel no pain at all. You get to know about this when the deposits are being reabsorbed because this is the time when it gets very painful. Sometimes, the pain is shifted from the arm to the hand and it gets very difficult for you to even move your hand. When it is the most severe, it is possible that you might not sleep well because of the pain.

Whenever you feel shoulder pain, immediately consult a doctor as your doctor will conduct a physical examination of your shoulder and accordingly guide you about it. If you found symptoms related to this condition, then you can even contact a law firm. There are some cases in which you can ask for the compensation for calcific tendonitis or some other shoulder problems and of course, a firm can help you better regarding this issue.