Simply defined, calcific tendonitis is the build-up of calcium salts in a tendon that often affects the shoulder joints as well as other joints. While experts aren’t sure what causes calcific tendonitis, they suspect calcium deposits form when pressure on the tendons cause damage or when there is not sufficient oxygen to the tendon tissues.

There are two kinds of calcific tendonitis: reactive calcification, which is associated with shoulder pain, and degenerative calcification caused by the wear and tear of aging. Reactive calcification, experienced by younger calcific tendonitis patients, is often caused by lifting, tennis, gardening, weightlifting, shoveling and hammering. Although it may affect anyone, people over the age of 40 are more likely to experience calcific tendonitis of the shoulder.

Calcific tendonitis occurs in the tendons of the rotator cuff, which is composed of several tendons that connect the muscles around your shoulder to the larger bone of the upper arm.
The shoulder pain associated with calcific tendonitis is related to calcium deposits that usually form on the tendon in the rotator cuff called the supraspinatus tendon.

You may feel only mild pain while the calcium is being deposited. However, when the deposits are being reabsorbed, calcific tendonitis becomes very painful. In fact, some people lose motion in their shoulder and are unable to lift their arm as the stiffness of calcific tendonitis worsens. If you think you may have calcific tendonitis, see your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.

 Get Soothing Relief for Tendonitis

People with calcific tendonitis show several signs and symptoms of the condition such as restriction of movement. Patients with calcific tendonitis often experience pain when sleeping on the injured side. Other common symptoms of calcific tendonitis include onset of pain that is unrelated to shoulder position or activity, pain down the side of the arm and in the shoulder. Also, it’s not unusual for people with calcific tendonitis to feel pain when lifting their arm overhead.

Instead of trying conventional medical treatments for calcific tendonitis, some people work on strengthening their body. There are numerous ways to treat calcific tendonitis, and your physician can help you decide what is best for you.

Knowing what to expect when it comes to treating your calcific tendonitis may at least alleviate some of the psychological pain of the unknown. One approach, ultrasound therapy, may break up calcium deposits, but it does not repair the damaged tendon or ease the pain of calcific tendonitis. 

First, you can expect your doctor to do a thorough physical exam of your shoulder or body part affected by calcific tendonitis. After taking a detailed medical history, the doctor will take an x-ray to determine the location of calcium deposits. Your initial treatment might include anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, for pain management and rest. Next, your doctor may want to give you a cortisone injection to temporarily relieve inflammation and swelling related to calcific tendonitis.

Get Rid of Tendonitis Pain for Good

Plan on working with a physical therapist for about two months as part of your calcific tendonitis rehabilitation plan. Treatments for your calcific tendonitis may involve heat or ice as well as hands-on treatments and exercises to improve range of motion in your shoulder. Your calcific tendonitis treatment will incorporate strengthening exercises to control of the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles.

If you are not healed through less invasive methods, your doctor may opt to correct calcific tendonitis of the shoulder through arthroscopic surgeries. Your surgeon will locate the calcium deposit in the rotator cuff tendon, and then use the small instruments to remove the calcium deposits and rinse the area. Sometimes, but not very often, open surgery is a last resort for people with calcific tendonitis.

During open surgery, the surgeon cuts through muscles and other surrounding tissues to the calcium deposits. The surgeon rinses the area to get rid of calcium crystals before stitching the muscles and skin together.

Therapy, including range-of-motion exercises, can progress quickly after a simple arthroscopic resection. However, the therapy is slow after open surgery. You won’t begin range-of-motion exercises for several weeks, but instead will begin with passive movements at home.

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