Do you suffer from shoulder pain that just doesn’t seem to be getting any better? You’re not alone with studies reporting that up to 27% of the population having shoulder symptoms.

This article will help you manage your symptoms and explain how you can fix the issue long term.

Shoulder bursitis is such a common diagnosis you get from your GP after an ultrasound scan. Any kind of trauma to the shoulder can cause the bursa to swell up and cause what is known as bursitis. The bursa facilitates smooth and painless movements of muscles and joints. With repetitive trauma, the bursa can become swollen and inflamed resulting in reduced space for the tendons and bursa to move in. This causes compression of the tendon and bursa between the bones which is more commonly referred to as impingement.

The most common symptoms of shoulder bursitis are the following:

1. Slow gradual onset of pain over months that generally worsens overtime

2. Pain on the outside part of the shoulder that can radiate downwards towards the elbow or even the wrist and fingers

3. Pain is worse when putting pressure on it (e.g. laying on that side) or moving the arm above shoulder height (e.g. hanging up the washing, washing hair)

When left unmanaged, repetitive trauma results in chronic inflammation to the muscles, tendons and even the joint. This can lead to a cascade of lasting problems including calcification of the tendons that leads to permanent loss of movement in the area. This is why timely treatment is imperative.

As a clinician, it is frustrating to see these preventable problems are left unmanaged. This always results in the shoulder pain getting worse and worse and each time there is more deterioration in the shoulder joint making it longer and more expensive to fix. In severe cases, the damage becomes permanent and the body can’t heal back to its original state and surgery is required.

If you want to know how to best manage your shoulder pain as a result of bursitis, then continue reading as these next 3 points could just change your life!

1. Pain management

Pain is typically the most debilitating aspect of shoulder bursitis and so it is vital that this is addressed first. Pain will cause the surrounding muscles to spasm and when left unattended, this results in worsening muscle and joint stiffness overtime. For pain relief, having a therapist identify these muscle groups and targeting them through manual therapy, stretching and finding the right support will provide immediate relief to the area and start to allow the structures to heal. Using ice, medications or even corticosteroid injections should only be used to help manage the pain in the short-term and not as a means to fix the problem.  

2. Improve the amount of movement in the shoulder

As the pain improves so will the amount of range in your shoulder. It is at this point that introducing new exercises to help facilitate the healing process is absolutely necessary. Further stretching out tight muscle groups, mobilising stiff joints and commencing light exercises to strengthen the deconditioned shoulder muscles is necessary to normalise shoulder function. It is during this time that the underlying causes of the shoulder bursitis are managed such as improving posture, finding strategies around work-related tasks that aggravate the pain and addressing the biomechanics of the shoulder.   

3. Returning back to your normal life

Ongoing assessment and tailored exercises provided will allow for gradual restoration in movement, control and strength to the shoulder muscles. This will allow you to return to your day to day activities, sports or hobbies and also prevent shoulder problems from developing in the future.  

Shoulder bursitis is normally a chronic problem related to overuse of the shoulder muscles and joint. Sufficient rest and pain relief followed by progressive loading of the joint to normalise function and increase strength is imperative to resolve the issue long term.

To get started on your recovery, a quick chat with one of our experienced physiotherapists will guide you in the right direction to optimise your recovery outcomes.