SHOULDER: BURSITIS

 

Bursitis….The stubborn shoulder injury

Over the past 16 years I have helped thousands of patients to rid themselves of the painful condition known as shoulder bursitis.  It is an incredibly common problem in modern society however it is one of the most poorly medically managed conditions around.  Blanket treatments such as cortisone may help in some circumstances however in my experience they simply mask the underlying problem. 

 

So what’s is it exactly?  

 

During normal movement of the shoulder, the rotator cuff muscles slide through a relatively small space underneath the bone on top of the shoulder known as the acromion.  Directly below the acromion sits a ‘fat pad’ or bursae, which is designed to protect the tendon from rubbing directly on the bone.  If the shoulder is not moving correctly the fat pad can become inflamed…you have now developed the dreaded bursitis.   

 

The good news…it VERY easy to fix with early intervention!     

 

Symptoms such as pain are your bodys way of letting you know something isn’t right.  If you ignore the symptoms often the condition will get worsen until permanent damage is done. Symptoms of bursitis usually include pain/ache around the shoulder and on the outside of the upper arm, weakness of the shoulder, and pain with specific shoulder movements including reaching behind the back and over the head. Symptoms can develop gradually over several weeks or the condition can develop suddenly following an injury or a fall. 

 

Many patients eventually seek medical advice and diligently go through the motion of doing their rotator cuff muscle strengthening exercises and have repeated jabs of cortisone injected into the shoulder only to find that the condition returns.   This is because in most cases, bursitis is a symptom…and NOT the problem.   

 

Contributing factors such as the following must be addressed; 

  • Postural problems such as “rounded shoulders” as they can contribute to stress placed on the structures in the shoulder.  

  • Repetitive use of the shoulder can cause the muscles to become inflamed (if the biomechanics aren’t quite right).  

  • Poor movement patterns. 

  • Weakness in specifics muscles that support the shoulder

fx physiotherapists are experts in accurately diagnosing and managing shoulder problems. We are trained in the use real time ultrasound to take the guess work out of shoulder diagnosis and will address all aspects of your condition to ensure a complete recovery.   

 

fx Physiotherapy ‘We’ll keep you Moving’