31 Aug Physiotherapy and Shoulder Bursitis
Shoulder Bursitis is a condition where the bursa is inflamed. A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that functions to reduce friction between tendon-tendon and tendon- bone within the space of your shoulder. More specifically, the bursa provides a slippery, gliding and smooth interface between the tissues in the body.
Bursae around the Shoulder include:
- Supra-acromial bursa
- Subacromial-subdeltoid bursa
- Coracoclavicular bursa
- Subscapular recess
- Subcoracoid bursa
Risk Factors:
- Age: increases with ageing
- Occupations and/ or Hobbies: repetitive movement and pressure on the bursa eg. gardening, painting, playing a musical instrument
- Medical conditions and systemic diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, gout, diabetes
Symptoms
- Pain with shoulder activities eg. hair washing
- Pain with overhead shoulder movements ie. when the arm is above the head
- Painful arc of movement between 60-90 degrees of the arm moving upwards and outwards
- Pain when lying on the affected side
- Pain may radiate down towards the elbow and wrist
Causes
- Overuse/ overload of the shoulder joint and surrounding muscles (usually shoulder bursitis coexist with shoulder impingement and rotator cuff tendonitis)
- Significant injuries/ trauma ie. fall
- Inflamed shoulder joint
- Inflammatory response of rheumatoid arthritis
- Degeneration of muscle tendons
- Muscle weakness of the upper extremity
- Impingement of the: coracoid, posterosuperior aspect of the glenoid, coraco-acromial ligament
- Tears of the rotator cuff
- Acromioclavicular joint degeneration
- Glenohumeral instability
- Calcium deposition
Assessment:
Your physiotherapist will provide a correct diagnosis of your shoulder condition based on your clinical examination, symptom behaviour and history.
Treatment:
Physiotherapy should be considered as the first line of treatment to relieve your shoulder pain and to assist with your recovery. A range of physiotherapy techniques will be used tailored to meet each individual need. These include: joint mobilisations, nerve and tendon gliding exercises, soft tissue massage, stretches and strengthening exercises, and postural retraining.
Contact us today
Get in touch with Edgewater Physiotherapy if you’re dealing with Shoulder Bursitis. Our qualified team can provide a treatment plan to assist you with your recovery in no time. Contact us to find out more.