Ouch!

For a couple weeks, I haven’t been able to lift my arm over my head.  I wasn’t concerned as that has happened before and then it would be fine.  But this time, it came to a head on Friday night with severe pain, and not being able to move my arm at all.

After living on Advil for the weekend, I got in to see the doctor today.  X-rays show I have Calcific Tendonitis. I could see the calcium deposits even before the doctor pointed them out.  Perscription is anti-inflamatory medicine and shoulder exercises.  If that doesn’t work, there are other courses of action.

• Pray that there will be less pain, and that the shoulder will loosen up more. The Lord is already answering this – the pain is less and the movement is incrementally more since Saturday.

Dave has been managing the household and taking care of Joy.  Lisa has also helped with Joy (bathing and dressing). 

• Pray for Dave with these extra responsibilities.

Nathan has been so compasionate, and interested in what was going on. When he got home from school, he researched Calcific Tendonitis. His paper (raw draft) is below.  

Calcific Tendinitis
by Nathan C. Brendle
1/5/09

Over the period of January 2 to January 5 (present) my mother, Ruth Brendle, has experienced serve cases of Calcific Tendinitis. Today (January 5) my mother went to the Doctor to find out what was wrong and what to do about it. She found out that it was Calcific Tendinitis. I decided to do a report on Calcific Tendinitis and further my understanding of what my mother had.

First, what is tendinitis? Tendinitis(informally also tendonitis) means inflammation of the tendon- the end part of a muscle that attaches the muscle to the bone. (itis) from tendinitis means inflammation, thus it is an inflammation or irritation of the tendon. Tendinitis can be cause can come from Painting, Tennis, Carpentry, Raking, etc. Incorrect posture at home or work or poor stretching before sport or exercise also may increase the risk factor for tendinitis. Other factors include, a poorly placed or abnormal joint, or arthritis in a joint. Tendinitis usually occurs in adults especially those over 40 but it can happen to anyone. It can Occur in The Elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, base of the thumb, and Achilles tendon, Symptoms of Tendinitis include, Pain at the site of the tendon and surrounding area. Loss of motion in the shoulder, called adhesive capsulitis.

Now that we know what Tendinitis is what is Calcific Tendinitis? Calcific Tendinitis Is a build up of calcium on the tendons of the rotator cuff (shoulder). The calcium deposits are usually about one to two centimeters. The build up of calcium on the tendons of the rotator cuff begins a chemical reaction that causes irritation that leads to pain. Calcific Tendinitis is Often worse then regular tendinitis pain, especially if the arm is raised above the head. Most cases of Calcific Tendinitis the pain will cease in two to four weeks, yet some cases require treatment. Calcium deposits only appear on the rotator cuff tendon. The causes of Calcific Tendonitis is not well understood.

Calcific tendinitis has three stages of progression,

Precalcification Stage – This first stage the person will not feel any symptoms. At this time, the site where the calcifications tend to develop undergo cellular changes, These changes predispose the tissues of the developing calcium deposits.

Calcific Stage – At this stage, the calcium is excreted from the cells then forms calcium deposits. The calcium, when seen, looks chalky and is not a solid piece of bone. Once the calcification has formed , the so-called resting phase starts. This resting phase is not painful and can last for a varied length of time. After the resting phase, a resorptive phase begins. The resorptive phase is the most painful past of the calcific tendinitis.

Postcalcific Stage – This stage is where the calcuim deposits begin to resolve and is replaced by more normal appearing rotator cuff tendon.

In most cases the calcium deposits will appear and disappear naturally without the need for surgery.

Calcific Tendinitis must be treated by a professional. In most often cases it’s just a matter of letting the condition resolve and dealing with the pain. However some cases recuire further attention. 

Sites of information

http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/arthritis-tendinitis

http://www.tendonitis.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tendinitis

http://www.itendonitis.com/calcific-tendonitis.html