Bursitis is an inflammatory and painful disorder that often affects the joints in the body that are exposed to overuse, infection, trauma, or other inflammatory diseases. The symptoms caused by inflammation of the bursae can limit many of the daily activities, and even become chronic and difficult to bear; so it is recommended to receive specialized medical attention to overcome this episode.
Many of our patients come to the clinic with intense pain in their shoulders that they cannot recognize; luckily, they are in the hands of the best specialists in orthopedics and traumatology in Panama, who can diagnose and effectively treat any problem of the musculoskeletal system.
Shoulder bursitis is an inflammatory process in which the synovial bursae of the shoulder become irritated, this inflammation causes the reduction of the joint space and, therefore, the appearance of pain when making movements with the limb.
Bursae are small shock absorbers that facilitate mobility and prevent rubbing from occurring in areas where muscles or tendons pass very close to the bony prominences of a joint.
Among the symptoms that characterize shoulder bursitis we can mention:
Joint pain that intensifies with movement or when pressure is put on the shoulder.
Rigidity.
Inflammation.
Redness.
Overheating.
Muscle weakness.
During the anamnesis, the specialist focuses on finding the cause of the problem, ruling out whether its presence is due to overload of joint activity, or failing that, derives from other diseases such as: arthritis, rheumatism or gout.
During the physical exam, the doctor feels the joint surface with his or her hands and then moves the shoulder into different positions to check the range of motion, pain level, and muscle strength. Imaging tests (X-ray, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging) and laboratory tests may be used in some cases to rule out that other medical problems are causing the symptoms.
The main cause of the disease is overload due to the performance of a recurrent activity, which may be the practice of a sport such as baseball, swimming, tennis or basketball; as well as in jobs where the arm is exposed to constant movements above the head.
Other causes that may be associated with shoulder bursitis are: aging, impacts, blows and trauma, calcifying tendonitis, postural alterations and inflammatory processes such as gout, arthritis, spondylitis, synovitis, etc.
Conservative treatment (rest, ice, and pain medication) usually significantly improves shoulder bursitis. If this doesn’t work after a few weeks, your doctor might suggest the following treatment options:
If the bursitis is shown to be caused by an infection, your doctor might prescribe antibiotics to reduce the inflammation of the bursa.
Physiotherapy exercises and kinesiotherapy contribute to the strengthening of the muscles of the upper extremities, prevent the recurrence of the problem and reduce the intensity of pain.
Corticosteroid injections into inflamed synovial bursae act quickly in relieving pain and inflammation.
In cases of chronic inflammation, surgical drainage of the bursa or removal of osteophytes (if applicable) can be evaluated with the patient to put an end to the joint problem.
The length of time that the inflammation of the bursae remains will depend directly on the cause of its appearance and the type of treatment applied to each patient. Generally, cases of acute bursitis treated properly may see favorable results after the first 15 days. On the other hand, the patient who undergoes surgery will progressively evolve through different stages in a period that can take 6 months or more.
Sleeping on the affected shoulder will be almost impossible, if you want to get a restful sleep the ideal is to place yourself in a supine position (lying on your back). You can also try lying on the opposite side of the injury, resting the sore arm on some pillows for more comfort.
Although some types of bursitis cannot be prevented, there are certain measures that can be taken as daily habits to reduce bursal exacerbations, these are:
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