Our Approach to Calcific Tendinitis Treatment

Calcific tendinitis of the shoulder is a buildup of calcium deposits in your tendons that causes swelling and pain. It most often affects a tendon in your rotator cuff — a group of tendons and muscles that support your shoulder joint.

Our orthopedic and sports medicine specialists provide leading-edge care to relieve shoulder calcific tendinitis symptoms. You get a treatment plan designed just for you — care that gives you the best possible results.

Calcific Tendinitis of the Shoulder Symptoms

Shoulder calcific tendinitis is sometimes confused with frozen shoulder, or swelling and stiffness in the connective tissue surrounding your shoulder joint. However, calcific tendinitis is a buildup of calcium deposits that can sometimes lead to frozen shoulder.

Shoulder calcific tendinitis usually happens in people over 40 and affects women more often than men. People with higher calcium levels in their blood, such as those prone to kidney stones, have a greater risk for developing this condition.

Calcific tendinitis symptoms include:

• Severe shoulder pain or stiffness that develops suddenly
• Sudden loss of range of motion in your shoulder

Symptoms often develop without a clear reason, such as a specific shoulder injury or strain. Pain can sometimes come and go over weeks, months or longer.

Shoulder Calcific Tendinitis Treatments We Offer

Typically, we can treat shoulder calcific tendinitis with physical therapy and medicines, including anti-inflammatory medications and steroid injections.

Your treatment may also include therapies that focus on breaking up the calcium deposits, including:

• Saline injections
• Shockwave therapy, including extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and radial shockwave therapy (RSWT)
• Ultrasound

If calcium deposits are too large to break up using these approaches or nonsurgical treatments don’t relieve calcific tendinitis of the shoulder symptoms, our doctors may use minimally invasive arthroscopy to treat the condition. Your doctor will discuss your options and develop a treatment plan that lets you move your shoulder without pain or stiffness.