Shoulder Tendonitis
December 19, 2007
Rotator cuff tendonitis, calcific tendonitis and biceps tendonitis are the three types of shoulder tendonitis.
The rotator cuff, which has four muscles around the shoulder joint, are meant to control the shoulder’s position and keep it stable and in place. The pain that can be felt in the rotator cuff can be found about three inches below the top of the shoulder and is most commonly felt when reaching over the head or behind the back. The most common cure for the condition is rest. As with most tendonitis injuries that is the most known cure. There are other cures. Another is anti-inflammatory medication, or a course of cortisone and a local anesthetic can be given. The anesthetic can be given into the area around the tendon. Exercising the tendon with weights is another way to cure it and it will help build up strength in the tendon again after the injury.
An x-ray can be used and this might reveal a bony anatomy that has being pinching the rotator cuff tendons. An x-ray may only be given if the pain has not gone after all the above methods have being tried. A bone anatomy occurs between a bone in the top of the shoulder and a ball at the top of arm bone. There is a process called an acromioplasty that can be performed. This procedure will make more room for the rotator cuff tendons.
A steel tube that contains optical fibers, a lens and a light resource, it is inserted into the shoulder and the surgeon is then able to remove some of the bone that is causing a problem from the acromion, through two or three small ¼” incisions.
Another type of tendonitis in the shoulder is calcific tendonitis. This is caused by calcium deposits in the rotator cuff area. The symptoms of the injury is agonizing pain and stern restrictions of movement in the shoulder. Having an x-ray of the tendon will reveal calcium deposits in the rotator cuff or above the head of the humerus. As with Rotator cuff tendonitis, the symptoms are very much the same. Injections of cortisone and a local anesthetic into the tendon area should heal the problem. If this fails then a multiple punch into the calcium deposit should break up the deposit and relieve the problem.