Objective: To determine the actual costs of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in patients with tendinitis of the supraspinatus muscle.

Methods: A comparison of the costs of surgical treatment versus the costs for ESWT was made. The total accrued costs were determined 12 weeks after intervention, using a sample group of 60 patients with calcifying or noncalcifying tendinitis of the supraspinatus muscle.

Results: The costs per case ranged from EUR 2,700 to EUR 4,300 per patient for ESWT and from EUR 13,400 to EUR 23,450 for surgical treatment, dependent on the method of calculation. Approximately 65% of the per-patient cost is attributable to productivity losses in the workplace.

Conclusions: In comparable short-term results, costs for operative treatment are 5–7 times higher than for ESWT. The greater trauma caused by an operative procedure leads to patients being off work for a longer period and thus a correspondingly higher social economic burden.