(08) 7008 7566
(08) 7118 5399
physio@upplus.com.au
177 Trimmer Parade, Seaton SA 5023Shoulder Bursitis
A bursa is a small fluid-filled cushion that lets tendons glide over bone. The one in the shoulder sits under the bony point at the top, and when it becomes irritated it can be sharply painful and make sleeping on that side impossible. It rarely occurs in isolation — there is usually a cuff problem underneath, which is why treating the bursa alone tends to disappoint.
What causes it
- Compression from repeated overhead activity
- An underlying rotator cuff tendinopathy irritating the bursa above it
- A direct fall onto the shoulder
- A sudden increase in load the shoulder was not ready for
- Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
What you might notice
- Sharp pain at the outside of the shoulder on lifting the arm
- Marked night pain, particularly lying on that side
- Pain that can feel disproportionate to the activity that caused it
- Tenderness to press just under the bony point of the shoulder
- A sense of the shoulder being hot or swollen inside
How we treat it
- Settling the irritation with load modification and manual therapy
- Treating the cuff underneath, which is usually the actual driver
- Progressive strengthening once the acute pain has eased
- Sleep position and pillow advice for the night pain
- Referral for a cortisone injection where pain is blocking all rehabilitation
- Return to overhead load in graded stages
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment. If your pain followed a significant injury, is getting worse, or comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss, please see your GP.
Treating the bursa alone rarely holds
An injection can settle the pain, but if the cuff underneath has not changed it usually returns. We treat both, in the right order.
Or call us on (08) 7008 7566 — we see patients across Seaton, Modbury and Stepney.