Therapy

For the treatment of a calcified shoulder, there are many different possibilities, which should be discussed together by patient and doctor. Depending on the stage of the disease and the individual level of suffering, different treatment plans should be used. As a rule, a conservative therapy is started, i.e. an attempt is made to avoid surgery for the time being.

In the following you will get an overview of possible therapy methods. Wearing a splint can also help to relieve the shoulder. These simple methods already show very good results with many patients.

Otherwise, painkillers and/or anaesthetics can be used, which can either be administered in tablet form or injected directly into the corresponding tissue.

Physiotherapy (physiotherapy),
Muscle strengthening exercises
Conservative therapy with cortisone
Cold therapy
Heat Therapy
Radiotherapy
Shockwave therapy
Needling
X-ray depth irradiation
Osteopathy
Homeopathy
Acupuncture
Therapy with home remedies
Operation

A calcified shoulder is accompanied by severe movement-related pain. Due to the calcium deposits in the tendons, the movement of the joint is painfully restricted.

Exercises can therefore sometimes be difficult to perform, as they can lead to pain in the joint. Gentle stretching exercises are recommended, which stretch the tendons and muscles slowly and gently and provide more flexibility in the joint. Careful mobilization can also have a pain-relieving and movement-enhancing effect.

The movements should be relaxed and painless, and if pain occurs, consideration should be given and the exercise should be interrupted. Large sweeping movements are suitable for mobilization. However, it can be started with a small range of motion first and then the movement can be slowly increased.

Strengthening the rotator cuff can also help to reduce the symptoms of calcified shoulders. In order not to put additional strain on the tissue, static holding exercises are recommended to improve strength, this is called isometric strength training. Physiotherapy plays a very important role in the conservative therapy of the calcified shoulder.

Depending on the stage of the disease, intensive exercises and techniques are used to improve or maintain shoulder mobility and to counteract muscle loss. This also stimulates the blood circulation, which can accelerate the decomposition of the lime crystals. However, the crystals cannot be eliminated directly by physiotherapy.

Cortisone is an anti-inflammatory drug that is often used for joint pain. This is also the case with the calcified shoulder, when severe pain cannot be treated or cannot be sufficiently treated by drug therapy. Cortisone can be injected directly into the joint, however, it should be remembered that cortisone can have a damaging effect on ligaments and cartilage and should therefore only be used in precise doses in the case of an appropriate indication.

Radiation therapy can be useful when pain first occurs. However, it is only promising in the early phase of the disease. Radiation therapy is given in low doses and is considered to have few side effects.

Radiation therapy involves throwing radiation into the tissue to break up the calcium deposits. The lime fragments that are created during this process can be removed more easily.In addition, a new inflammatory reaction develops, which leads to increased blood circulation. Immune cells reach the shoulder more frequently and the breakdown of existing calcium deposits is improved.

However, radiotherapy increases the risk of secondary tumors, even if only very slightly, and should therefore be discussed especially with young patients. Radiation therapy is an IGeL service, so it must be paid for by the patient himself. The best known is probably extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT).

It has only been used for about 10 years, but has a very good success rate. Shock waves are short, high-energy waves that discharge their energy only when they hit solid tissue. In this particular case, the skin and muscles are simply penetrated, while the calcification is then hit by all the energy.

The shock waves are focused on the painful area with the help of a cushion filled with water, penetrate to the calcification and break the lime down into tiny particles that can then be absorbed by the body. In addition, the shock wave therapy stimulates the blood circulation in the tissue, which additionally ensures that the body’s own healing process is promoted. Normally, this therapy can be carried out on an outpatient basis, so the patient does not need to be admitted to hospital and can go home directly after the session.

Pain during this treatment is minimal and side effects such as bruising or swelling are very rare if used properly. How often ESWT must be repeated depends very much on the severity of the disease. For many, however, it takes three appointments.

If after three months there is still no success, it is usually advisable to discontinue treatment and still perform surgery. The success rates for shock wave therapy are around 40-70%. However, shock wave therapy is an IGeL service.

In other words, a service that is not covered by health insurance and must be paid for by the patient. In addition to drug therapy and immobilization, home remedies are often used to alleviate the complaints associated with a calcified shoulder. Apple vinegar, heat applications using a hot-water bottle or grain pillow or massages are also popular.

Other household remedies are bitter-salt baths, ginger and turmeric. These substances are said to have a muscle-relaxing or anti-inflammatory effect and are said to help with the calcification of the shoulder. Therapy with apple vinegar is in no way a substitute for conventional medical diagnosis and treatment.

However, it can be used as an accompanying treatment. Apple cider vinegar contains some valuable electrolytes and the so-called pectin (from the apple skin), which is said to have a medical effect. Apple vinegar is best taken slightly diluted with water in the morning and evening.

Supposedly existing lime deposits should be reduced and the appearance of new ones prevented. Whether or not the therapy with apple vinegar will help you, everyone should decide for himself. There are usually no side effects.

Basically you should test individually whether heat or cold is good for you. As a rule, heat is perceived as pleasant. It increases the blood flow and relaxes the muscles.

However, in acute stages of inflammation, e.g. bursitis, heat is contraindicated. In this case the joint should be cooled. In most cases, however, the patient feels what is good for him or her.

Osteopaths can treat a calcified shoulder. They can address joint problems and treat them specifically with appropriate techniques, but they can also take a holistic view of the organism and treat it. Fascia therapy is frequently used.

In the case of the calcified shoulder, immobilization of the joint can lead to adhesions of the connective tissue, which can then lead to problems in other parts of the body, e.g. the neck. Such problems can be treated by an osteopath. Homeopathy can be used to support the medical therapy of a calcified shoulder.

There are a variety of preparations that are used for pain and problems of the musculoskeletal system. Let your doctor or alternative practitioner advise you. Calcium phosphoricum, Rus toxicodendron and Bryonia alba are some of the preparations that can be used.Since homeopathy is strongly dependent on individual type, an exact dosage as well as the selection of the preparation should be carried out by a specialist in order to achieve the greatest possible treatment success.

Acupuncture is performed by appropriately trained doctors or alternative practitioners and can be pain-relieving, especially in acute pain conditions. The needles are localized at the appropriate place and sometimes remain in the tissue for several days. This is intended to stimulate the flow of energy in the treatment area, to support the removal and to promote blood circulation.

Whether the acupuncture is successful depends strongly on the individual. An operation is rarely considered for a calcified shoulder. Usually the disease heals on its own after some time.

This is the reason why invasive surgery is often a long wait. Indications for an operation are permanently occurring severe pain which does not improve even after conservative therapy, or particularly large and solid calcific foci in the shoulder are often the reason to initiate an operation. In most cases, however, surgical treatment is not necessary.

Surgery is almost always the last resort in the treatment of a calcified shoulder, when everything else could not result in any or only an insufficient reduction of the symptoms. Only in exceptional cases, for example when the pain is very sudden and very severe, is surgery directly recommended. Normally, the surgical procedure for a calcified shoulder is minimally invasive, i.e. through a very small skin incision through which an arthroscope is inserted.

This includes a small camera, with the help of which the surgeon can detect calcific deposits as well as any further damage to tendons or other joint components or incipient arthrosis. During this operation, not only the disease-causing calcification but also surrounding tissue can be removed if it is inflamed. This is often one of the bursa of the shoulder (bursa subacromialis).