Everything that you need to know about Calcifying Tendinitis .This is the commonest cause of acute(suddenly appearing)& severe Shoulder pain, occuring without any jerk ortrauma to the Shoulder.
How is it caused?
It is primarily caused due to the breakdown of rotator cuff tendon, where the tendon tissues are replaced by deposit of calcium. 1 to 2 cms of calcium deposit in the tendons of the shoulder makes a movement like lifting the arm very difficult. There are various stages that it evolves through
but is tricky to notice.
The first two stages are symptom less.
In the first stage, the tissue of the tendon begins to change while in the second stage the calcium begins to slowly deposit on the site. The pain only kicks in when the body starts to get rid of the excess calcium. This is the third phase of calcifying tendonitis. The pressure is built on the rotator cuff making regular shoulder movement difficult. The symptoms are usually mistaken for other shoulder related problems but a quick Ultrasonography (USG) & X-ray able to diagnose the condition.
Anything that would inflame the tendons causes calcific tendonitis, however, to pin out a particular lifestyle or an activity is difficult. The condition is more common in women aged 30 to 60 years,
who don’t recollect getting hurt on the shoulder. The people suffering from the condition do not have any specific calcium related abnormalities.
How do you treat the pain?
The pain in the shoulder is awful and patients suffer from sleepless nights. A major misconception about the condition is that it goes away on its own. It doesn’t always .There are some home remedies that can relieve the pain temporarily. A combination of ice packs with an anti-inflammatory drug is used by practitioners to begin treatment. Immobilization of the arm in a pouch sling helps
This will provide relief.
If the condition is not cured through conservative methods , intervention may be needed.
- Needling of the calcium deposits under USG guidance & Cortisone injection maybe used in the treatment. Physical therapy is usually prescribed after the treatment. It will help strengthen the shoulder and increase the motion range.
- An Arthroscopic surgery is only considered if the pain persists after using all other possible conservative methods. During this Surgery, the calcific deposits are debrided ,, removed & the resultant tendon tear is repaired using suture anchors.
- Other methods also include Shockwave therapy, Radiotherapy, PRP injections.
But are rarely used. Most of the time, the condition is resolved over the span of 2 to 3 months; by following regular treatment. There is no quick fix; one needs to have
If the calcium deposit is large then it is less likely that it will be absorbed completely.
Only in such cases, surgical methods are used to treat the condition.
These deposits have tooth paste like consistency, suction is used for removing it.