Help I’ve Got Shoulder Bursitis!

Shoulder bursitis is a very common complaint that we see a lot of here at Sunny Side Physio! If left for too long, it can be quite a debilitating, painful injury that takes a long time to resolve without proper intervention.

Photo: Pinterest

What is shoulder bursitis?

Shoulder bursitis is caused by inflammation of (yep you guessed it) the bursae. Bursae are small, fluid-filled sacs that are located throughout the body and help to cushion the joint and reduce friction, allowing smooth movements to occur. When they’re chronically inflamed, they cause significant pain (often dull and achy) that can interrupt your day-day function and most importantly, your sleep!

What are some common signs and symptoms?

Shoulder bursitis usually has a slow and gradual build up, unless you’ve had a fall or some other traumatic event occur. We often see people that have had it for months, or even years before they seek help. However, the quicker you get onto it, the quicker you generally see improvements.

In clinic, we often see the following:

• Pain with movements, especially above head or reaching behind your back (eg. putting a bra on)

• Painful to sleep on and often causes you to wake up

• Referral pain down the arm and forearm

• Occasional postural upper back pain, neck pain and headaches if it’s been going on for a while

What can I do to help?

There are a few small changes you can implement immediately to help reduce the inflammation of your shoulder bursitis.

This includes:

• Avoid sleeping on that side

• Avoid (or modify) activities that aggravate your pain - eg. use a clothes horse instead of a washing line temporarily

• Pace yourself when it comes to household jobs that aggravate your pain - eg. do one task per day, rather than all of your jobs on one day!

• Use a spiky ball up against a wall to loosen up the muscles at the back of your shoulder, aim for 1 minute per day

If your symptoms still persist, hands-on physiotherapy can be extremely beneficial to break the cycle of pain. We use massage, mobilisations, cupping, dry needling and ultrasound therapy to reduce the pain and stiffness and provide long-lasting relief. We then incorporate specific strength and mobility exercises to ensure your bursitis doesn’t return after a few months!

Thanks for reading!

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If you need some help and guidance, feel free to book online to come and see us! We look forward to helping you rehab your injury at Sunny Side!