Your tendons are a strong piece of connective tissue that attaches your muscles to the bones. Quite often, calcium deposits build up in this area, and this excess calcium is known as calcific tendonitis. For some people, this may not cause any significant health issues or damage, but for others, it can cause excessive pain and restrict a person’s ability to move their arm and shoulder. The most common area that seems to be affected is the group of rotator cuff muscles, which are located in the shoulder.
Causes
It is not known for sure what causes calcific tendonitis, but it’s believed that certain factors such as diabetes, thyroid disease, and a person’s genetics may play a role in the risk of developing calcific tendonitis. Additionally, women 35-65 years of age seem to be at a higher risk of developing tendonitis than their male counterparts.
How to Reduce Calcifications
There is no one way that a person can reduce calcifications, but there are things you can change in your daily routine to reduce the level of calcium buildup in your body. Some things that may decrease calcification in various parts of the body include:
- Quit smoking – In general, this is better for your overall health.
- Eating more green vegetables – Vitamin K helps to block off calcium from building up in your arteries.
- Reduce salt intake – Too much sodium in your diet can cause high blood pressure. High blood pressure weakens the walls of the arteries and makes it more likely for calcium to build up in this area.
- Exercise – This helps to decrease calcium buildup as well as cholesterol levels.
Treatment
There are a variety of options available to help reduce pain caused by joint calcification. Some ways to help manage your joint pain are:
- Resting the joint
- Range of motion exercises
- Medication
- Arthroscopic surgery (for most severe cases)
- Lavage, which is when your doctor inserts two needles into your tendon and rinses the area out with a solution of saltwater.
Why You Should Not Ignore Joint Pain
When too much calcium builds up and deposits into your joint, it can cause debilitating pain and significantly reduce your ability to move your arm and shoulder. It’s not an issue that can be ignored because the calcium levels will continue to increase, thereby causing more pain until it is treated. For these reasons, it is best to treat this issue as soon as you are aware that the problem exists.
For more information about calcific tendonitis, or if you are experiencing pain related to calcium buildup, please contact us. We’re here to help provide information, treatment and relief to help get you back to your daily routines.