From the Research
The most effective treatment for Eagle syndrome and calcific tendinitis is surgical intervention, specifically styloidectomy, which can be performed through either an intraoral or external approach, with the choice of approach depending on the patient's condition and the surgeon's experience, as supported by the most recent study 1.
Treatment Approaches
- Initial management includes conservative measures such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen 400-800mg three times daily or naproxen 500mg twice daily for pain relief.
- Local anesthetic injections with lidocaine 1-2% combined with corticosteroids like triamcinolone can provide temporary relief.
- Physical therapy focusing on stretching and strengthening exercises for the neck muscles may also help.
Surgical Intervention
- Styloidectomy (removal of the elongated styloid process) is the most effective approach for patients who don't respond to conservative treatment.
- The surgical approach can be either intraoral or external, with the external approach generally providing better visualization and lower risk of infection, as noted in 2 and 3.
- However, the intraoral approach can be preferred for cases where the process can be easily identified by palpation, as mentioned in 2.
- Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is also a safe alternative to traditional surgical approaches, granting an excellent view and safe manipulation by robotic arms, as reported in 4.
Post-Surgical Care
- Post-surgical care for Eagle's syndrome includes a soft diet for 1-2 weeks, pain management, and antibiotics if indicated.
- Most patients experience significant improvement following proper treatment, with complete resolution of symptoms in many cases, as supported by the study 1, which found that surgical resection of the elongated styloid process gives better long-term results (6 months and beyond).