Shockwave Therapy for Calcifying Tendinitis of the Shoulder
Title: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for calcifying tendinitis of the shoulder
Authors: Chin-Jung Hsu, Der-Yean Wang, Kuo-Fung Tseng, Yi-Chin Fong, Horng-Chaung Hsu, Yick-Fung Jim
Summary: In this study, researchers investigated the use of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for calcific tendinitis of the shoulder. The study included 46 patients who were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group. The treatment group received two courses of ESWT using specific energy density and impulses, while the control group underwent a sham treatment with a dummy electrode.
The results showed that ESWT was highly effective in the treatment group, with 87.9% of shoulders experiencing good to excellent outcomes in terms of pain relief and functional improvement. In contrast, the control group had fair results in 69.2% of cases and poor outcomes in 30.1% of cases.
Furthermore, ESWT demonstrated a significant impact on the elimination of calcium deposits associated with calcific tendinitis. Among the ESWT patients, complete elimination of calcium deposits occurred in 21.2% of cases, partial elimination in 36.3%, and no change in 45.4%. In the control group, only partial elimination was observed in 15.3% of cases, while 84.7% showed no change.
Importantly, the study found no significant difference in outcomes between different types of calcific tendinitis. The Constant score, which measures shoulder function, showed similar results for both Gärtner type I and type II groups.
Overall, the findings indicate that ESWT holds promise as a non-invasive and effective treatment option for calcific tendinitis of the shoulder. The therapy not only provides pain relief but also contributes to the restoration of shoulder function. Additionally, the procedure was associated with minimal complications, making it a potentially attractive alternative to more invasive treatments.