Shoulder pain from calcific tendonitis

[Just concerned]

Has anyone developed a calcific tendonitis in the shoulder?  If so, what have you been able to find that helps with the pain?  Has anyone had surgery or ultrasound for it and what were the results?  I have been having so much pain with this and have not been able to find any treatment for it.  I am scared to have the surgery as I hear it may not change things and I may just have to live with this pain as it is now chronic.  Any advice??

[Waterboy100]

I had CT two years ago which was originally diagnosed as a torn rotator cuff by a physiotherapist.  After treatment that didn't work I went for a scan which immediately dignaosed the CT.  I was given a lavage but the nurse said at the time the calcium seemed to be pretty hard and she didn't think it had broken up.  She gave me a cortisone injection which was great for about four months, none of the pain that you all know about.  When the pain came back I had a second cortisone injection but this one lasted only a few weeks before the pain was back.  Finally, reluctantly I went to a surgeon in London who was recommended to me.  He did the scan and concluded based on the scan and the history that the calcium deposit would probably break up eventually but it could be within a year or possibly it would take several years.  He said I had to make a choice between having the ongoing pain for an indeterminate period or having the surgery to remove the calcium and a bit of bone to allow all my muscles to have space to move better (like a refurbishment of the shoulder).  He said that out of 100 people who have the operation 10 will have a miracle cure, 80 will say that it wasn't perfect for various reasons but they were glad they had it, 9 will say that there was no improvement and they wished they hadn't had it and for 1 poor person, it will be a disaster as the shoulder will reject the surgery and it will be worse.  I couldn't imagine anything much worse that the constant pain of the CT so I had the surgery.  It is a 30-60 minute operation, they totally numb your shoulder and arm, like an epidural on your arm, you can have partial or general anaesthetic, I chose the general.  Afterwards, I saw the video of the operation, they basically go in through two pin holes in your shoulder, shave the calcium apart and vacuum it up to remove it.  In my case the surgeon said that the calcium was very hard and it was probably a good decision to have the operation as it would probably have stayed there for a while.  After the operation, you don't feel a thing as the arm is numb but as this wears off the pain arrives but in my case was not too bad and manageable with pain medication.  It is now six weeks since the operation.  I have been doing constant exercises to heal after the operation and get the shoulder working properly after so long without it working properly.  I have about 80% movement but some movements are still tough (reaching up to coat hangers, reaching up to put keys in locks).  But the continual pain and lack of general movement is gone.  I am hopeful that it will improve and get even better over the coming months, maybe to full recovery.  But at the moment I am in the 80 out of 100, glad to have had the operation to be rid of the of the ongoing pain of the CT but it's not perfect.  I will try to remember to update after another couple of months.  Good luck all.  

[Waterboy100]

Having had the surgery, after 6 months the shoulder is nearly as good as new.  Some occasional stiffness in certain positions but mostly full use of the shoulder and no pain at all. It's not for everyone, and I know not everyone has the same result, but I'm glad I had the surgery.  

[Teddy1963]

I too suffer from this ungodly pain! But I was told the calcium deposit had burst? Has anyone else been told this?

[davidanderson12]

It is one of the worst pains in the shoulder. As my opinion You can take  suggest superior Physiotherapist for reduce this pain and keeps your shoulder strong and flexible and reduce the irritation.

[njm05]

Hi Josie. I suffer from calcific tendinitis in my right shoulder too. My GP got my shoulder x-rayed which shows there are large calcific deposits in the supraspinatus tendon on my right shoulder. I also have a large calcium deposit adjacent to my AC joint. It can be quite painful at night and disturbs my sleep. I'm taking 50 mg of Diclofenac Sodium tablets twice daily. My GP is referring me to a specialist in orthopaedic and rheumatology for treatment.

[RetiredRob]

Hope the NSAIDs have helped MissWaddy..I saw my Orthdo doc and he wrote the script for PT. Had my initial PT visit for assessment. The cortisone shot finally kicked in for me and I am happy to report the shoulder did not cause me any issues on my 12 day trip to Norway and Sweden. I had some exercises to do but was pretty exhausted each night from touring that I only did them very sporadically.  Will start the PT regularly Friday.  Sorry to hear Nova you are still suffering. Hope the PT helps.

[novashoulderpatient]

Today is 3 weeks post needling. The pain and discomfort have suddenly and drastically went up over night and now the level of pain is the highest since the day of the procedure. I did have a minor relief though for the two days prior. Monday night I was able to have almost two hours of uninterrupted sleep and it felt amazing! Well, I feel like I fell back to square one now. Didn't do anything to provoke it either. I think PT is helpful overall, because I usually feel the slight improvement in the level of pain and mobility right after a PT session and for the day of and the day after. I had another visit with my orthopedic surgeon and also got a second opinion from a Georgetown orthopedic surgeon. They both suggested waiting for 2-3 months to see if my condition improves without surgery. And if it doesn't, then the course of action is to get another MRI and proceed with a surgery, which will include bursectomy, removal of calcification from the tendon, and tendon repair if necessary. Recovery time is 2-3 month if tendon does not require a repair and 4-6 months if it does. I also plan to get an ultrasound diagnostic done (with a different doctor, NOT the one who butchered the needling procedure!) 2 weeks from now to see if there is any progress with calcium reabsorption.