You have a dull ache in your shoulder. It feels stiff. Perhaps you have trouble raising your arm. It’s time to seek treatment from an orthopedic specialist.
Board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Shults with Coastal Empire Orthopedics provides prompt diagnosis and treatment for shoulder pain and other orthopedic injuries and conditions. You may have shoulder bursitis.
Your body provides several types of cushioning to prevent your bones from rubbing against each other. You have small sacs of fluid called bursae around the bones and tissue in your shoulder and other joints.
Bursitis can occur after a traumatic injury to the shoulder joint, or it can develop gradually over time due to overuse. Baseball pitchers and other athletes who throw a ball, as well as those whose jobs involve rotating the shoulder frequently, are at increased risk of bursitis.
Follow these steps if you’re diagnosed with bursitis.
If you’re in severe pain when you come in for your appointment, Dr. Shults can administer a cortisone shot to help relieve your discomfort. You should feel relief in a couple of days.
You’ll need to rest your shoulder joint to avoid aggravating the inflammation and worsening the condition. You’ll be off the field or court for a while. Dr. Shults provides a note for your employer if the rest period affects your work.
As with other inflammatory injuries, ice your shoulder periodically during the first 48 hours. After the initial inflammation has subsided, you can use heat to help alleviate pain.
You’re probably already using over-the-counter pain relievers. Use these only temporarily.
Avoid sleeping on your side with the affected shoulder. Sleep on your back or on your other side.
Depending on the severity of your condition, Dr. Shults may prescribe physical therapy or instead instruct you on gentle stretches and exercises to perform at home. These help you regain range of motion and strength.
If you have bursitis, you want to know how you can prevent it in the future. The following are helpful strategies.
Remember to stretch and perform warm-up exercises before engaging in repetitive shoulder motions. Warming up helps increase blood flow to your shoulder joint. It lubricates your joints.
Make sure you take breaks when using repetitive shoulder motions. Keep an ice pack handy if you need it. Allow more rest time if you start to feel twinges.
Don’t force yourself to keep going if your shoulder starts to hurt. You’ll injure yourself more.
Contact Coastal Empire Orthopedics or schedule an appointment through our online portal today if you are experiencing unexplained shoulder pain.
