Bursitis of the Shoulder: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

by Kevin Smith Author

Bursitis is an affliction that causes intense pain in the joints, muscles and bones throughout the body. It is common in major joints, particularly if you perform any type of repetitive motion or overwork the area in question. Here is a brief description of the ailment that can help you as you seek treatment for bursitis of the shoulder in Atlanta.

Risks

Bursitis is most common in adults, primarily those who are over 40. It is generally caused by overuse or repetitive actions. Jobs and activities that often result in at least mild bursitis include gardening, raking, shoveling, painting, scrubbing, tennis, throwing and golf. Additionally, lack of activity if you are stuck in a single position for a long time can contribute and cause bursitis.

Some risks are not physical. As you age, your tendons are not as flexible as they once were and that can lead to the swelling of a bursitis sac if abnormal pressure is put on the sac to augment the tendon weakness. Also, arthritis can cause inflammation and other health issues like rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis and a thyroid disorder can increase your risk of bursitis.

Finally, it is rare, but some infections can cause bursitis. Those include staphylococcus aureus bacteria and any other illness that can cause swelling of joints.

Symptoms

If you have bursitis, you will notice that your joints or the affected area are:

Stiff
Swollen
Red
Painful

If you have a fever over 102, swelling and warmth in the area, general illness or trouble moving the joint, call your doctor immediately.

Otherwise, much of the question of whether you should go to the doctor hinges on how much pain you can tolerate. It should be noted that until the underlying cause of the bursitis is treated, it can always become a problem again.

Diagnosis

If you do go to the doctor, they will focus on two main ways of diagnosing bursitis:

Imaging Test Results

Lab Tests of Liquids taken from the affected area(s)
A physical examination to determine what is wrong

Treatment

Whether you go to ortho or not, the best way to reduce and even eliminate bursitis is to rest. You should raise the affected area and in certain cases, you can put the affected area in a brace, band or splint.

If after you have tried to treat it yourself you are still experiencing discomfort, a doctor’s visit is in order.

If you are considering a doctor for bursitis of the shoulder in Atlanta, understand that the sooner you have it diagnosed, the quicker you will recover.