Our bones are constantly working to replace old bone tissue with new healthy tissue, but if a problem develops with this process or you suffer an injury to the shoulder area, calcium deposits can develop. These deposits are oftentimes small and don’t cause symptoms, but if they end up getting larger they can irritate nearby soft tissues. Thankfully, a shoulder specialist can help you treat these symptomatic calcium deposits. Below, we take a closer look at calcium deposits in the shoulder and how these bony overgrowths can be treated.
Risk Factors And Symptoms Of Calcium Deposits
Natural aging and acute injury to the shoulder can put you at a greater risk of developing calcium deposits in the shoulder area. One thing that will not increase your risk is getting a healthy amount of calcium in your diet or from supplements. When people hear that they are dealing with calcium deposits, they sometimes think that reducing their calcium intake can help prevent these overgrowths. This won’t help with the issue, and it can lead to a host of other health problems connected to a lack of calcium in your diet.
Calcium deposits are likely much more common than we realize. In most instances these deposits are very small and are surprisingly soft, so their presence doesn’t end up disturbing soft tissues in the shoulder. Over time, these deposits may enlarge or dry out and become harder, which can lead to symptoms, but not always. Many times these deposits are noted when looking for other issues like fractures or arthritis on an imaging test like an X-ray.
When calcium deposits in the shoulder are symptomatic, oftentimes they present with:
- Pain
- Pain that worsens with movement
- Mobility restrictions
- Stiffness
- Tenderness
Treating Calcium Deposits In The Shoulder
Calcium deposits become symptomatic when they become inflamed and irritate nearby structures like the bursa or the rotator cuff, or when they leak calcium salts into the bursa. Both of these causes can be painful, but deposits that can damage nearby soft tissues require more direct attention. If you’re dealing with the above symptoms or general shoulder pain, head to a shoulder specialist’s office for an evaluation.
If they confirm the presence of calcium deposits with the help of a physical exam and diagnostic imaging tests, they’ll then likely walk you through your treatment options. Oftentimes they’ll recommend conservative options to see how the shoulder responds before moving to more hands-on treatment. The most common non-operative treatments involve a combination of rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy to help safely strengthen the area and expand your range of motion.
If these treatments fail to provide relief after a couple of weeks, your shoulder specialist may move forward with a corticosteroid injection and again ask you to pursue the above techniques. If this too fails to provide relief, a minimally invasive surgery may be recommended. During surgery, the patient is put under general anesthesia and feels no pain during the operation. The surgeon will then make a few very small incisions in the skin in order to access the shoulder site and excise the offending deposits. A portion of bone may also be removed to help decompress the area in the event that the deposits have caused significant damage to your rotator cuff. Most patients only need one operation to address the deposits, as it’s rare for them to return once they’ve been surgically removed.
If you are dealing with shoulder pain or flexibility restrictions, consider talking to your primary care provider or a shoulder specialist. Left untreated, these deposits can damage your rotator cuff and lead to the need for more intense treatment. Stop the problem now while it’s small and more responsive to treatment. For more information, or to talk to a shoulder specialist in your area, reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
