Shoulder Calcification Treatment
Shoulder calcification, also known as calcific tendonitis, is a debilitating condition that causes excruciating pain and restricts individuals from enjoying their daily activities. It is characterised by the presence of hydroxyapatite, a crystalline calcium phosphate, within the tendons. This accumulation leads to pain, inflammation, and discomfort. While both men and women can be affected by shoulder calcification, it tends to impact more women, with the highest incidence occurring between the ages of 50 and 60.
People with shoulder calcification experience pain around the deltoid muscle area, often radiating down the arm toward the elbow or wrist. Certain movements or positions, such as lying on the affected side or attempting to raise the arm, can exacerbate the pain.
However, there is hope for those suffering from this condition. With focused shockwave treatment and magneto transduction therapy, many clients have experienced remarkable recoveries, enabling them to return to a pain-free life swiftly. If you are experiencing shoulder problems, we recommend visiting us promptly to receive an accurate diagnosis and swift treatment before the condition becomes chronic.
Our Shockwave Treatments
Achilles Tendonitis
Back Pain
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Dupuytren’s Disease
Golfer’s Elbow
Gout
Hip Pain
Knee Calcification
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome
Morton’s Neuroma
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Patellar Tendinitis – Jumpers Knee
Pseudarthrosis
Scar Tissue Treatment
Shoulder Calcification
Shoulder Tendinitis & Bursitis
Stress Fractures
Tennis Elbow – Lateral Epicondylitis
Therapy for Diabetics with Frozen Shoulder
Trigger Finger
Calcific Tendonitis Treatment
Physiotherapy
Historically physiotherapists have used various techniques to help manage pain associated with calcific tendonitis. Heat or cold therapy can help alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and provide temporary relief, while gentle and controlled range of motion exercises are incorporated into the treatment plan to improve joint mobility and flexibility helping to prevent stiffness and maintain or restore the full range of motion in the affected shoulder.
Strengthening exercises can alleviate strain on the tendons affected by calcific tendonitis, while manual therapy techniques, such as joint mobilisation or soft tissue manipulation, can improve joint mechanics, reduce muscle tension, and promote healing.
Shockwave Therapy
While Shockwave therapy is a relatively new treatment option that has been shown to be effective in treating carpal tunnel syndrome, at our clinic we have been using focussed shockwave as a carpel tunnel syndrome treatment for some time. The therapy involves the use of high-energy sound waves to stimulate healing in the affected area. The sound waves help increase blood flow to the area, which can help reduce inflammation and promote healing.
Shockwave Therapy & Shoulder Calcification Research
There have been several clinical studies conducted on the effects of Shockwave Therapy (SWT) for Shoulder calcification.
In a study published in the Collegium Antropologicum in 2011, the authors evaluated the effectiveness of radial ESWT on the group of 30 patients, aged between 28 and 58 years, with calcific tendinitis of the shoulder. The treatment resulted in pain relief, increase in the range of motion, and increase in the muscular strength. As shown by X-ray, these results were followed by the decrease in the size of the rotator cuff calcifications. (1)
While a German study published in 2003 in Zeitschrift für Orthopädie und ihre Grenzgebiete, on 35 patients using Radial ShockWave Therapy (RSWT) concluded, “The low-energy RSWT leads within the first 4 weeks to a significant pain relief and an improvement of shoulder function.” (2)
A more recent study in The Physician and Sportsmedicine published in 2020 also looked at Shockwave therapy and reported positively. (3)
While the most recent research published in 2022 in the journal BioMed Research International, concluded, “High-energy shockwave therapy has been proved to be effective and thus strongly recommended for the management of calcified rotator cuff tendinopathy, improving the pain, functionality, and quality of life of these participants and decreasing the size of calcified deposits. Shockwave therapy is proved to be superior to routine physiotherapy.” (4)
These studies are in line with our own experience of providing Shoulder Calcification treatment.
We administer EMTT through a handheld device that is placed over the affected area. The treatment is painless and non-invasive, and typically takes just a few minutes to complete. Patients may receive several EMTT sessions over the course of a few weeks, depending on the severity of their symptoms and the extent of their injury.
EMTT Therapy for Shoulder Calcification Treatment
We are now using ElectroMagnetic Transduction Therapy (EMTT) in conjunction with Shockwave therapy as we have found the combination of the two treatments especially effective for dealing with shoulder calcification.
EMTT is a non-invasive treatment that uses electromagnetic waves to stimulate healing in the affected area. The treatment works by producing a pulsed electromagnetic field that penetrates the tissues of the shoulder joint and stimulates cellular activity. This increased cellular activity can help to reduce inflammation, increase blood flow, and promote tissue repair, all of which can improve shoulder calcification.
EMTT works by generating electromagnetic fields that penetrate the skin and underlying tissues. These fields can stimulate the production of growth factors and other signalling molecules that promote tissue repair and regeneration. EMTT can also help reduce pain and inflammation by increasing blood flow and reducing the activity of pain receptors in the affected area.
We are one of the few clinics in the country offering this as a solution to this painful condition and we recommend you book an appointment soon.
ABOUT SHOCKWAVE CLINICS
Shockwave Clinics Ltd is the leading shockwave clinic in London and the UK with the most advanced and comprehensive range of shockwave and complimentary technologies, including magneto transduction therapy and radio frequency.
For over 10-years we have been using Focused Shockwave to treat numerous muscular problems caused by sports injuries as well as back pain, problems caused by invasive surgery and simple old age.