Shoulder pain is a widespread condition in Germany. However, it is not always possible to find a cause. After often many years, there may be an incidental finding: calcific shoulder. However, with the right experts, calcium deposits in the tendons of the shoulder girdle can be detected and treated much earlier. This significantly shortens the patient's suffering from pain.
Further information and selected specialists for the treatment of calcific shoulder can be found below.
It usually begins with pain when working overhead or lifting an arm. Later, the pain also occurs at night. Lying on the shoulder becomes an ordeal. At this stage of the disease, calcific shoulder not only affects the patient's everyday life, but also robs them of sleep. The level of suffering is very high, and the doctor-hopping until the saving diagnosis can finally be made is almost endless.
It is not known what ultimately causes calcific shoulder (medically: tendinosis calcarea). Even recent studies have so far failed to shed light on the processes that lead to calcification of the shoulder tendons. However, it is very likely that there is reduced blood flow to the shoulder area and altered pressure on the shoulder tendons.
In many cases, working at a desk or PC causes the shoulder muscles to atrophy, while the chest muscles atrophy to a lesser extent. This muscle difference has an effect on arm movement and the guidance of the upper arm bone in the shoulder joint. The muscle pressure from the front of the body is greater than from the back, causing the movement sequences to shift and strain the tendons. Due to the incorrect load in the shoulder girdle, blood vessels and tendons are increasingly restricted and compressed. This is likely to reduce blood flow and cause calcification in the tendons.
The calcific shoulder disease usually progresses in four phases:
The progression of calcific shoulder disease already shows that it disappears completely on its own, even without therapy? So why consult a doctor?
The second phase of the disease in particular usually lasts for years. The pain and restricted movement caused by it result in a loss of quality of life. The earlier the calcific shoulder is diagnosed, the less pain those affected will suffer as a result of early treatment. For this reason, such shoulder problems should always be presented to a doctor, usually an orthopaedist or shoulder surgeon.
The most reliable method of detecting a calcified shoulder is ultrasound examination. Here, calcifications can be visualized very well from all spatial directions. X-ray images also show calcium deposits, but the doctor is limited to one viewing plane. A typical feature of calcific shoulder disease is that the calcium deposit is not located in front of, above or below the tendon in the shoulder girdle, but always directly inside the tendon.
There are two main types of surgery for calcific shoulder: open surgery under general anesthesia and keyhole surgery as a minimally invasive procedure. The specialist decides whether an operation is advisable according to the following criteria:
Nowadays, the operation is usually performed arthroscopically as part of arthroscopic shoulder surgery, i.e. via a small incision and close to the joint. The doctor removes the calcium deposits and can also compensate for arthrosis damage or other problems in the shoulder area. After the operation, the shoulder must be rested for at least three weeks; physiotherapy maintains mobility.
Micro-invasive, ultrasound-guided calcification removal, known as needle lavage, is also very promising. This is performed under local anaesthetic and is used successfully in specialized centers throughout Germany.
In addition to these surgical methods, doctors also have non-invasive treatment methods at their disposal. These include, for example, injections, physiotherapy, painkillers and shock wave therapy. The latter targets the calcification with sound waves, triggering biological healing processes. As a result of these processes, the calcium deposits dissolve.
The affected arm can be immobilized for some time to support painful bursitis in the shoulder area. Supports, such as the shoulder orthosis, have proven to be very effective for this. It is also important to limit the use of painkillers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as diclofenac, can also have serious side effects if used over a long period of time. Self-medication with over-the-counter medications (acetylsalicylic acid, etc.) should also be avoided. The treatment of calcific shoulder should be in the hands of experts, then the pain will also disappear very quickly.
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