Frequently they do not cause problems, but if they increase in size or become inflamed, then very severe pain may result. This collection of questions and answers is intended to explain this common shoulder problem and describe the methods we recommend for treatment in different situations. In most situtations, there is no known cause for calcium deposits. Many people ask if their diet should be changed to reduce calcium intake. Calcium deposits occur most frequently in females between 35 and 65 years of age, but may occur in males as well.
Many calcium deposits are present for years without causing any symptoms.
Only when the deposit becomes large enough to pinch between the bones when the shoulder is elevated, does it cause pain. Sometimes smaller deposits cause pain if they become acutely inflamed, especially when the calcium salts leak from the lesion into the sensitive bursal tissues. Some calcium deposits can cause erosion with the destruction of a portion of the rotator cuff tendon. Most calcium deposits remain on the outside of the rotator cuff tendon in the bursa and only cause problems because of their pain and catching. Most early calcium deposits are very soft like toothpaste, but sometimes after being present for a long period of time, they do dry up and become chalk-like, sometimes even turning to bone.