lime Shoulder
Lime shoulder or lime in the shoulder is a diagnosis that can cause lumps in the shoulder and sometimes severe pain.
Calcium shoulder means that calcium has been formed in the tendon tendons of the shoulder and rotator cuff muscles (normally supraspinatus or subscapularis) - and thus what we call a calcified tendinitis (inflammation of the shoulders due to calcium buildup) is formed.
Lime shoulder can be both asymptomatic and very painful - it varies greatly and the condition can 'flare up' with incorrect loading. Often the pain will start as a "distant effect" before it gradually gets worse over time and becomes a very sharp pain.
The pain is most often apparent when the person has done a lot of work above shoulder height or sleeping on the shoulder. Buttoning, cracking and locking can often be experienced due to this disorder.
Scroll below for to watch a training video with exercises which can help you against calcifications in the shoulder.
VIDEO: 5 Strength Exercises Against tendonitis and calcification in the shoulder
Earlier we mentioned that tendon inflammation can form in the limb build-up inside the shoulder joint. Here are five exercises that can help you get better blood circulation in your shoulders, increase your shoulder mobility and relieve pain caused by lime in your shoulder. Click below to watch the video.
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Anatomy: Where does lime form in the shoulder?
The most common is that lime build-up is formed in the tendon attachment of some of the rotator cuff muscles. The most common form of calcareous shoulder affects the muscle called the supraspinatus - which lies on the shoulder blade and attaches further out towards the shoulder.
This muscle helps lift the arm out from the side - so when affected by this, it can feel both heavy and painful to lift the arm out from the side, especially above shoulder height.
Cause: What causes lime shoulder pain?
You are not quite sure why someone gets lime shoulder, but it is believed that the cause is due to several factors. What you can say is that it's not because you drink too much milk, eat too much cheese or the like - it's just a silly myth.
One theory is that it is due to failure over time and that the decomposition of calcium is an attempt by the body to strengthen the affected tendon attachment in order to prevent tearing or tendonosis.
Pain Relief: How to Relieve Lime Shoulder?
There are a number of measures that can provide pain relief and pain relief at the limb shoulder Both active and passive treatment. For natural reasons, limescale shoulders can limit both movement and function.
It is therefore important that you get treatment for this problem at clinics that are experts in muscles and joints in combination with exercise and self-treatment.
Lime shoulder often responds very well to pressure wave therapy - performed by publicly authorized healthcare professionals such as manual therapists, physiotherapists and chiropractors.
For self-measures, regular stretching and specific exercises that strengthen the shoulders are recommended (including knitting exercises with exercise bands), neck and back.
A clinician will provide you with customized exercises specific to you and your presentation. Self-measures such as self-massage (for example with trigger point balls) towards tense muscles in the shoulder, shoulder blade and upper back can contribute to increased blood circulation and loosen up in tense and pain-sensitive muscle fibers.
Pain presentation: Symptoms of calcified shoulders
The pain and symptoms of lime shoulder often vary from person to person - and many can also have lime in the shoulder without major pain.
Normally, however, it will cause pain during activity with the arms above shoulder height. The pain is located to the front of the shoulder in the subacromial region. Many people also experience clicking or pinching at the shoulder joint during this diagnosis.
Other common symptoms of lime shoulder is:
Reduced shoulder joint movement on the same side
Shoulder pressure and associated rotator cuff muscles
Occasional yelling and discomfort towards the upper arm on the same side
Abnormal movement in the affected area due to pain and irritation
Often it will overlap with other diagnoses such as neck pain and impaired movement - for natural reasons due to incorrect loading and compensation.
Lime shoulder and its symptoms can vary in both intensity and duration. Some cases are very mild and go away on their own - while others, more serious cases, need treatment by professional clinicians who work with muscles and joints on a daily basis.
Epidemiology: Who gets lime shoulder? Who is most affected?
Lime shoulder affects both women and men. Those between the ages of 30 and 60 are most affected by this condition.
Exercises and stretching: What exercises can help against lime shoulder?
When it comes to exercises and training against limescale we have to focus on two main goals:
- Strengthen the other rotator cuff muscles so that they can relieve the exposed area
- Increase the mobility of the muscle fibers by regular stretching and self-treatment
Strengthening the rotator cuff muscles - as shown in these exercises - is very important. Often, reduced strength in the shoulders is a contributing factor to the development of calcareous shoulders - so naturally enough, strengthening the shoulder and other stability muscles will be very important. For best results, exercise and stretching should be combined with professional treatment by clinicians who are officially authorized muscle and joint experts (eg chiropractor).
Try these: - How To Get Stronger Shoulders
And these: Exercises for Stiff Neck
Treatment of lime shoulder
Treatment of calcareous shoulders will focus on restoring normal joint movement, processing muscle tension (myalgias) and home exercises in the form of an exercise program aimed at this type of problem. Our warmest recommendation is a combination of self-treatment, training and pressure wave treatment - the latter treatment should only be performed by publicly authorized health professionals.
Some treatment methods may be:
- Acupuncture and needle treatment: Treatment with needles can help with muscle pain and provoke increased healing in nearby tissues. We are talking about intramuscular acupuncture - not "Chinese acupuncture".
- Physical treatment: This includes treatment measures such as TENS, massage, heat treatment, cold treatment and stretching techniques.
- Drug treatment and injection: Painkillers can provide pain relief, but do not change the root cause of the problem. Overuse of NSAIDS in tendon injuries has also shown that it can lead to a reduction in the body's own healing process. We do not recommend cortisone injections, as it can cause worse problems in the long term.
- Muscle Knut Treatment: Muscular treatment can reduce muscle tension and muscle pain in the back, calves and neck.
- Joint Treatment: An expert in muscles and joints (eg chiropractor or manual therapist) will work with both muscles and joints to give you functional improvement and symptom relief. This treatment will be adapted to each individual patient based on a thorough examination, which also takes into account the patient's overall health situation. The treatment will most likely consist of joint corrections, muscle work, ergonomic / posture counseling and other forms of treatment that are appropriate for the individual patient. In the case of calcareous shoulders, special emphasis is placed on treatment of the shoulder, thoracic spine and neck - as this has a direct effect on the calcareous shoulder and vice versa.
- Trigger point massage / muscle knot therapy: Work to work on tension and tension in muscle and tendon joints can provide pain relief and functional improvement. Here you can also achieve a lot even with a set of trigger point balls of different sizes.
- Yoga and meditationYoga, mindfulness, breathing techniques and meditation can help lower the level of mental stress in the body. A good measure for those who stress too much in everyday life.
Self-help: What can I do even for muscle and joint pain?
Calcium shoulder causes decreased blood circulation and increased muscle tension in the shoulder, back and neck. We always recommend that self-treatment is one of the main measures in the fight against pain - with regular self-massage (eg with trigger point ball) and stretching can help prevent pain in the muscles and joints.
1. General exercise, specific exercise, stretching and activity are recommended, but stay within the pain limit. Two walks a day of 20-40 minutes make good for the whole body and sore muscles.
2. Trigger point / massage balls we strongly recommend - they come in different sizes so you can hit well even on all parts of the body. There is no better self help than this! We recommend the following (click the image below) - which is a complete set of 5 trigger point / massage balls in different sizes:
3. Training: Specific training with training tricks of various opponents (such as this complete set of 6 knits of different resistance) can help you train strength and function. Knit training often involves more specific training, which in turn can lead to more effective injury prevention and pain reduction.
4. Pain Relief - Cooling: Biofreeze is a natural product that can relieve pain by cooling the area gently. Cooling is especially recommended when the pain is very severe. When they have calmed down then heat treatment is recommended - it is therefore advisable to have both cooling and heating available.
5. Pain Relief - Heating: Warming up tight muscles can increase blood circulation and reduce pain. We recommend the following reusable hot / cold gasket (click here to read more about it) - which can be used both for cooling (can be frozen) and for heating (can be heated in the microwave).
6. Prevention and healing: Compression noise like that like this can increase blood circulation to the affected area, thereby speeding up the natural healing of injured or worn muscles and tendons.
Recommended products for pain relief in pain
Biofreeze (Cold / cryotherapy - click on the image to read more about the product)
Read more here: - This You Should Know About Fibromyalgia
Sources:
- Bannuru, RR; Flavin, NE; Vaysbrot, E; Harvey, W; McAlindon, T (Apr 15, 2014). "High-energy extracorporeal shock-wave therapy for treating chronic calcific tendinitis of the shoulder: a systematic review.". Annals of Internal Medicine. 160 (8): 542–9. PMID 24733195. doi:10.7326/m13-1982
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