Extracorporeal shock-wave therapy for supraspinatus calcifying tendinitis: a randomized clinical trial comparing two different energy levels

46 patients with supraspinatus calcifying tendinitis were included in this study to determine the effects of two different energy protocols for extracorpereal shockwave therapy. Results from the 12 month assessment period indicated that both high and low energy level treatments produced a reduction in pain, calcification of the affected tendons and improvements in shoulder function compared to base-line measures. However, the high energy protocol provided the greatest improvements in both pain and function over the entire course of the trial.