Help for Shoulder (Subacromial) Bursitis in Geelong

17/8/2017

What is Shoulder (Subacromial) Bursitis?

Subacromial Bursitis is intense pain in the shoulder which worsens with repeated movements of the shoulder joint.
The body is laden with small fluid filled sacs called bursae, which act like cushions between moving parts of the body like joints and muscles or tendons. Shoulder Bursitis occurs when the subacromial bursa in the shoulder swells up with more than usual amount of fluid. Due to this condition, the bursa prevent muscles and tendons in the shoulder joint, called the rotator cuff, from functioning properly.
Those diagnosed with Subacromial Bursitis experience shoulder stiffness and pain accompanied with swelling and redness. The shoulder is usually sore to touch and difficult to move. In severe cases, the shoulder might be immovable completely and this condition is known as Frozen Shoulder.

By Lengerke, CC BY-SA 3.0 de,

What Causes Shoulder (Subacromial) Bursitis?

An injury to the bursa in the shoulder can lead to Shoulder (Subacromial) Bursitis as can extensive use of the shoulder muscles. People who are in jobs doing overhead lifting of heavy objects and performing a lot of pulling are especially prone to this condition. The same can go for sports professionals involved in throwing or pitching. It is also believed that a slouching posture can increase the risk of being diagnosed with Shoulder (Subacromial) Bursitis.

When To Seek Help For Shoulder Bursitis?

As with most conditions, getting some additional support for your body earlier will usually facilitate a faster recovery and reduce the chance of re-occurrence. Also, if the pain in a shoulder due to bursitis restricts the shoulder's movement for an extended period of time, this could then potentially lead to Frozen Shoulder.

How may Bowen Therapy help people with Shoulder Bursitis?

With clients at my clinic, often I find that the muscles that hold the shoulder in place have varying degrees of tension (ie not even muscle tension around the shoulder) which then means the shoulder is not sitting centrally in it's joint space. Because of this incorrect positioning of the shoulder, the bursa appears to become aggravated through movement. Once the muscle tensions are addressed and the shoulder sits centrally in it's joint space, the bursas are also in a more anatomically correct position where they can do their job properly without undue pressure from incorrect positioning, and the result is that clients may report that their shoulder gets better.

Another reason a centrally positioned shoulder can help, is that blood circulation may be increased to the bursa and surrounding structures, so as to increase the rate of healing and speed up recovery, With Bowen Therapy we address the whole body, targeting several different areas we see as contributing to the problem, and this is how we may get our results to hold and last longer.

You can read some reviews from our clients on the Review page here, or Book Online here for a Bowen Therapy Session targeting Shoulder Bursitis in Geelong.

5 Comments

Louis Attard
Dip BT, Bach Comp. Sci

Local Bowen Therapist.
Clinic in Breakwater, Geelong
Victoria, Australia
Ph. 0430 795 666

Whilst I believe it's excellent to be involved with your own health, it's important to know only medical doctors can perform a medical diagnosis.

Colin Holloway link

16/8/2017 04:06:06 pm

Good article. The forward shoulder rotation can certainly cause this problem because then the head of the Humerus does not fit well in the Glenoid fossa. Tendon tears come easy in this case. Icing is problematic. It should only really be done once. If you can get away with it. To reduce pain. After that you need the inflammation . It is part of the natural healing process. Cortisone is a poor option. Doesn't always work and can cause Stetoid burn. The septic version is rare. Just need antibiotics. You can't really remove a bursa because it is a fluid filled space. The doctor can aspirated it. Remove the fluid with a needle. If the shoulder becomes frozen it is very sore overhead. The client has to push through the pain. Same occurs with an operation. Not everyone is committed enough to push through it.
Especially if they are elderly!

Louis

16/8/2017 05:08:27 pm

Thanks for your comments Col and adding value to the post.

I only know what what I read here (http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/what-is-subacromial-bursitis#2) about the removing of the bursa in surgery. Surgery is a bit beyond my skill set :)

Thanks again.

Louis.

Deborah

1/10/2017 02:18:43 pm

I think I have it in both shoulders what stretches can I do

Louis Attard

1/10/2017 07:55:51 pm

Hi Deborah,

It is difficult to say exactly which shoulder stretches you should do over the internet, often there are tight muscles around the shoulder that should be stretched, but there can also be elongated or weak muscles that certainly shouldn't be stretched any further. You should work to stretch the tight muscles and strengthen the elongated muscles to improve shoulder health at home. If you were to stretch muscles that were already elongated it would make your shoulder worse.

Luckily however, it's not really rocket science. If you make a big circle with your arm (a bit like a windmill) and notice that there is stiffness in one part of the movement, work to stretch that part of your shoulder's range of motion. You can also check your shoulders range of motion by bringing the arm infront of you or placing it behind your back.

However most important of all is to go gently and slowly with any exercises. You don't want to hurt yourself and make it worse. But by working slowly and buildling up you may be able to really notice a significant improvement with your shoulders.

Hope this helps, and good luck! :)

TV Escorts Swindon link

8/5/2025 09:14:23 am

I find it helpful that this blog explains how bursitis affects movement in a clear way.