The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-02-11


known as the scalenus anticus syn
drome. As far as know, there is
no such thing as neuritis of the
shoulder and when anyone makes
this diagnosis, he usually is max
ing wrong diagnosis.
A bursa is a kind OF shock abb
sorber and most joints have bursae
around them. A bursa is actually
a membrane which looks like a
small debated balloon and is filled
with fluid which does the shock
absorbing. The subdeltoid bursA
is called that because it is under
the deltoid muscle, which is the
large muscle on top of the Shout
der: it IL located between that
muscle and the top of the bone OF
the upper arm, the humerus. When
it becomes inflamed, not only does
the notwithstanding function stop,
but pain intervenes.
The most frequent cause Of in
fammation Of the subdeltoid bursa
is irritation from use on exposure
TO cold-what might be called use
injury"
Soldiers get it from carrying a
gun; people who work in cramped
positions at machines often get il.
! know of one case of a woman
who drove her car leaning on her
arm on the open window. which
put it in cramped position, and
this in addition to the cold wind
that was blowing fixed her up.
Focal Infection
The next most frequent cause is
focal infection from infected teeth,
tonsils or other tissue. Occasion
ally certain nutritional changes
are operative, especially in those
cases in which a bursa becomes
filled with chalky or calcium de-
posits. Pain, tenderness and limi-
tation Of motion are the main
symptoms and they come on quite
suddenly. Most cases get well
automatically without treatment
in from a week to two or three
months. Some of them go over
into a chronic stage and in many
OF shcse cases The EiirS9 IS seen 10
be filed with calcium deposits
when an x-ray picture is taken.
Treatment of an acute case is
mostly by rest and splinting of the
arm; or exposure TO the X-ray Of
ten causes resolution. II these
measures do not operate, the
bursa can be injected hypoder-
mically with procaine and in re-
sistant cases the entire bursa can
be removed surgically.
Rupture Of Muscles
Another fairly frequent cause
OF painful shoulder is a rupture
of one of the muscles that are in
serted in or around the joint. This
is usually caused by a sudden, I'M
familiar movement which catches
the muscle in a taut or twisted
position and ruptures the sheath.
These cases also get well by SIM
pie measures in most instances.
A very peculiar condition which
causes painful shoulder is wrong
insertion of the scalenus anticus
muscle, which is one of the muscles
in the neck. When it is inserted
in a wrong position it presses on
the nerves which supply the Shout
der and arm, and this produces re-
current attacks OF pain. This is
one of the easiest forms Of recur-
rent and long-drawn-out pain to
cure, as it can be relieved by op.
GRAFTON under local anesthesia.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
W. T.:-What is the meaning OF
mitral organic heart disease!
Gould it be cured in time by taking
ut easy, with good food, plenty Of
rest and no hard work?
Answer: Mitral heart disease
IS an Inflammation Of the mitral
valves Of the heart. The serious
ness Of the condition is determined
by the amount Of Inflammation
and how much deformity is left in
the valve. Most cases, however,
are not very serious and patients
live to a quite old age. 1t is i'm
possible to prevent it by diet, or
by any other means.
irtarnsI noint Ia All gnacia,a