Calcium is an essential mineral that helps you to maintain healthy bones and teeth, among other functions. However, if too much calcium builds up in the soft tissues of the body, a condition known as soft tissue calcification occurs.
What is Soft Tissue Calcification, and What Causes It?
Calcification occurs when calcium accumulates in body tissue, blood vessels, or organs. These calcium deposits can interrupt many of your body’s normal functions and cause pain. Since calcium is transported via the bloodstream where it can reach every cell of the body, calcium deposits can end up in almost any area of the body.
If the deposits end up in soft body tissues such as breasts, muscles, and fat, the condition is known as soft tissue calcification. Soft tissue calcification can occur as a result of injury or as an inflammatory reaction triggered by infection, trauma, repetitive motion, or autoimmune illness. It can also be caused by a condition known as hypercalcemia, which is characterized by high levels of calcium in the blood.
Soft tissue calcification can seriously affect the quality of your life if the calcium deposits become too large or are found in an area that disrupts organ function or activities of daily life such as walking or sports activities.
Symptoms of Soft Tissue Calcification
It’s not abnormal for calcium to build up in the soft tissues from time to time and this usually produces no symptoms. But if excessive calcium build-up happens because of an underlying disease, such as kidney disease or trauma, the symptoms of that particular illness can lead to the discovery of calcification, for instance, through X-rays or a mammogram.
Some of the symptoms linked to soft tissue calcification include:
- Bone calluses
- Bone or joint pain, with limitation on joint range of motion
- Breast lumps
- Muscle pain or fatigue and cramping
Symptoms may vary, depending on the type of disorder behind the calcium build-up and where the deposits are located.
Who Is at Risk of Soft Tissue Calcification?
The following risk factors are associated with soft tissue calcification:
- Autoimmune disorder
- Family history of calcium metabolism disorder
- Trauma or repetitive motion that leads to inflammatory reactions such as bruising, redness, or swelling
Keep in mind that a high intake of calcium is not linked to abnormal calcification.
How to Treat Mild Cases of Soft Tissue Calcification at Home
It’s possible to treat mild cases of soft tissue calcification at home. Whether the condition is mild depends on the size and location of the calcium deposits as well as the underlying cause.
Soft tissue calcification treatment options include taking anti-inflammatory medicines. If the calcification happens because of trauma or musculoskeletal injuries, you can initially apply an ice pack and rest while the body heals itself.
Acoustic Wave Therapy for Severe Cases of Soft Tissue Calcification
At times cases of soft tissue calcification can be so severe they require surgery. Fortunately, there’s another non-invasive and less invasive treatment for soft tissue calcification.
This treatment option, called Acoustic Wave Therapy, or AWT for short, uses the power of acoustic waves to promote healing and reduce the soft tissue or joint inflammation that may cause calcium build-up.
Acoustic Wave Therapy has also been shown to be very effective to reduce the pain and inflammation due to chronic plantar fasciitis.
Acoustic Wave Therapy offers the following benefits:
- Painless, non-invasive treatment procedure – The only thing you may feel is a mild tingling.
- Drug-free, needle-free, and surgery-free – All these can be scary, but completely avoidable with Acoustic Wave Therapy!
- No recovery period is needed after – If you need several treatments, you don’t have to worry about taking time off to “bounce back.” You can be in and out of the treatment office and ready to get on with your life immediately after each visit.
How Can Flagstone Medical Help You?
If you’re looking for a viable, surgery-free soft tissue calcification treatment option and wondering how to get on board with Acoustic Wave Therapy, Flagstone Medical has the solution for you.
Flagstone Medical not only specializes in this research-proven treatment method, but we also customize the treatment plan to suit your situation and provide careful monitoring during your treatment course. Getting in touch with us is easy. Fill in the form below to book a consultation or have your queries answered in no time.
