Have you ever felt a sharp pain in your shoulders?Bursitis is one of the most common causes of shoulder discomfort.
Let's talk about this condition. Bursa is a cushioning tissue filled with a liquid substance, which is stored where different tissues and organs of movement rub against each other. This includes muscles, tendons and bones.
The subacromial bursa is particularly susceptible to inflammation, as it lies beneath the roof of the shoulder, the acromion.
Bursitis under the roof of the shoulder is so common because the tissues in this area are exposed to strong pressure from bony structures.
In this article, we'll tell you everything you need to know about shoulder bursitis: causes, symptoms and treatments.
Causes
The most common causes of shoulder bursitis are overuse or injury to the shoulder joint.
Overuse is mainly caused by extreme, monotonous shoulder movements.
Air arm movements exert particularly strong pressure on the subacromial bursa.
This is why certain professions, such as painters, installers and contractors, as well as professional athletes like tennis or volleyball players, are particularly prone to shoulder bursitis.
In addition to acute injuries and stress related to work or sporting activities, there are other factors that favour the onset of shoulder bursitis:
- Old age: as we age, subacromial bursitis is more likely to occur.
- Postural problems: sagging narrows the space under the arch and increases stress on the subacromial bursa.
- Diabetes: diabetes increases the tendency of the bursa to become infected.
- Trauma: the impact of the humerus against the roof of the shoulder also injures the bursa, causing inflammation.
- Calcareous shoulder: calcium deposits in the supraspinatus tendon rub against the subacromial bursa, causing inflammation.
Symptoms :
Pain due to shoulder bursitis often begins with mild discomfort. Depending on movement, it may occur when the arm is extended to the side.
Eventually, the pain in the shoulder becomes increasingly intense due to inflammation of the bursa.
Mobility of the shoulder joint is severely limited by bursitis.
The shoulder becomes very painful, even if you avoid moving it. This leads to severe pain at night.
Eventually, the patient will no longer be able to lie on the affected shoulder. Sufferers often wake up at night, with very sharp pain.
,
Treatments :
There are many ways to treat this disease. A category of these treatments can be associated with therapies such as conservative therapy, shockwave therapy and physiotherapy.
Treatment of acute subacromial bursitis with conservative therapy is based, on the one hand, on acute shoulder pain.
This is done by anti-inflammatory injections, combined with local anesthesia and the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs.
In the early stages, immobilization may be useful. The shoulder can also be cooled using compresses or ice packs.
This will reduce pain and reduce swelling. If this treatment is administered at an early stage, shoulder stiffness can be prevented.
Shockwave treatment of subacromial bursitis
For many patients, high-energy shockwave treatment can help improve the situation.
An extracorporeal shock wave breaker destroys inflamed tissue and calcium deposits. In many cases, this can prevent arthroscopic removal of the bursa.
Exercise and physiotherapy to strengthen the shoulder
Physiotherapy is particularly important for causes involving mechanical overload of the bursa. In these cases, it is important to reduce the mechanical load.
In the acute phase of inflammation, it is advisable to take care of the shoulder. However, once the acute inflammation has subsided, you need to take appropriate measures to prevent further damage to the shoulder.
In connection with work and sport, this may involve appropriate compensatory and strengthening movements.
If the cause is an impingement on the shoulder, or a calcaneal shoulder, appropriate exercises help center the humeral head and control the scapula.
In this way, the narrow space under the shoulder canopy can be optimized and the functional sequence of shoulder movements improved. The result is mechanical relief of irritated structures.
We hope you've enjoyed reading about shoulder bursitis: causes, symptoms and treatments. If you'd like to find out more about what Physio Balance has to offer, please pay us a visit!