I’ve heard you can have shock therapy for calcium deposits in the shoulder. How does this work?

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has been used to treat calcific tendinitis of the shoulder. Shock waves are sound waves that create high-pressure energy. The energy is enough to shake the calcium deposit into tiny fragments that the body can absorb.

According to a recent study from Austria, ESWT works best when the sound waves are focused directly at the calcium deposits. This requires using a special X-ray imaging called fluoroscopy. A computer program helps calculate the best angle and distance to get the best results.