Crepitation


Today’s word is crepitation. To crepitate is to make a rattling or creaking sound or to crackle. According to the doctor that’s what my shoulder is doing. Please do not confuse this with decrepit – I’m not quite that far-gone yet.


So what is the cause you may ask? It could simply be an area of inflammation that the anti-inflammatory medication I take can’t penetrate. That’s the best case. It could also be scar tissue and other crud (dissolving stitches) causing the problem. The doc took X-Rays to determine if the stainless steel clips she used to attach the muscle and tendon had come loose. They were OK. It is interesting to see the X-Ray of my shoulder and the little clips sitting there. They look like the little metal loop you find on fishing leaders and lures only they are flat.


The first order of treatment is a cortisone shot. The idea being that it will settle the inflammation down and then my prescribed anti-inflammatory medication could handle any later issues. If that fails then it’s back to surgery – arthroscopic this time- to go in and see what’s going on and to fix it. Recovery time for this is only a couple weeks versus the nine months to a year for the original surgery.


I am through with going to physical therapy (PT). I will continue it at home for the foreseeable future. I’m supposed to take it easy for 2-3 days now, ice the shoulder thrice a day (which I am doing as I write this) and then start my home PT sessions.


I’m hoping that the shot will fix me up. I don’t want 2007 to be another banner year for my doctors.