Chronic Shoulder Bursitis

[AndrewD54]

For those of you who have absolutely no idea what that means. Your tendons are wrapped in a fluid filled sack that keeps them from causing friction when you move a joint. That sack is called a bursa sack. When the sack become inflamed that's bursitis. It can be EXTREMELY painful, and it can even get so bad as to limit your range of motion. I got this back when I was in the military, and it has reared its ugly head a few times. The doc told me that the only way to fix it was pills (anti inflammatory ones) and a few weeks rest.

All that being said It limits my workouts, because I am unable to do overhead lifts which impacts my shoulder workout most of all. So I guess i have a 2 part question: Does anyone else have this issue, and perhaps any ideas to keep it from coming on again or treat it more quickly? Or does anyone know of any lifts That I can do for shoulders which don't require overhead lifts or even anything that requires me to lift the shoulder at a 90 degree angle?

[dec11]

For those of you who have absolutely no idea what that means. Your tendons are wrapped in a fluid filled sack that keeps them from causing friction when you move a joint. That sack is called a bursa sack. When the sack become inflamed that's bursitis. It can be EXTREMELY painful, and it can even get so bad as to limit your range of motion. I got this back when I was in the military, and it has reared its ugly head a few times. The doc told me that the only way to fix it was pills (anti inflammatory ones) and a few weeks rest.

All that being said It limits my workouts, because I am unable to do overhead lifts which impacts my shoulder workout most of all. So I guess i have a 2 part question: Does anyone else have this issue, and perhaps any ideas to keep it from coming on again or treat it more quickly? Or does anyone know of any lifts That I can do for shoulders which don't require overhead lifts or even anything that requires me to lift the shoulder at a 90 degree angle?

what is your pain like? dull or sharp and movement dependant?

ive rotator probs and im trying to pin it down, my scan isnt until Apr

[AndrewD54]

It depends on how long i keep lifting after it starts hurting. If i try to suck it up for a while it becomes a sharp pain and its usually movement dependent. It can easily be confused with rotator cuff problems. In fact that's what I thought I had before the doc told me otherwise.

[dec11]

It depends on how long i keep lifting after it starts hurting. If i try to suck it up for a while it becomes a sharp pain and its usually movement dependent. It can easily be confused with rotator cuff problems. In fact that's what I thought I had before the doc told me otherwise.

yeah but the diagnosis of 'rotator cuff problems' is an umbrella diagnosis that takes in ailments of the whole shoulder joint, an MRI pinpoints there origin of pain

[AndrewD54]

Ah well that makes sense. I guess i always thought rotator cuff injury was either a tear or cartilage wearing away.

[iptak]

yeah but the diagnosis of 'rotator cuff problems' is an umbrella diagnosis that takes in ailments of the whole shoulder joint, an MRI pinpoints there origin of pain

Not sure that is 100% accurate. if they are implying it is a RC issue than that would rule out many other aspects of the shoulder joint. It could be a labral tear or a bursitis, or even an A/C joint (unlikely) and those do not fall under "RC probelms". Not from a pathoanatmic/diagnositic point of view at least.

MRI's are quite helpful, but they are also quite notorious for missing pathology in the shoulder joint. Subsequently it is later found with a surgical intervention. The shoulder is a complex joint and lets face it, weightlifting put some pretty significant stresses on it! A buddy of mine was doing quite well getting close to the national level of commpetition and at 26 y/o the Ortho doc told him his shoulder X Ray looked like that of a 60 y/o.

[iptak]

Ah well that makes sense. I guess i always thought rotator cuff injury was either a tear or cartilage wearing away.

No Cartilage involved here. It is usually a tear, or fraying, or tendonosis (or itis). The RC is just 4 muscles referred to collectively as the Rotator cuff. The problem is when it gets messed up it can wreak havoc on other structures in the area leading to a host of secondary problems.

[AndrewD54]

got ya, well I just try to avoid overhead lifts when it is inflamed, and keep my form as close to perfect as I can get it. When it get's inflamed I get some NSAIDS and that usually fixes it right up in a week or 2

[lovbyts]

what is your pain like? dull or sharp and movement dependant?

ive rotator probs and im trying to pin it down, my scan isnt until Apr

I knew you would be all over this, as am I... Time for more Google. Damn Dec, mine has been since around April also. I think after the 1st of the year I am going to tell the doc to do some cutting.

Ive been fighting it with PT, ART, meds, rest, typical rotator cuff exercises and nothing is really working. It starts to get better then any little work and it's bad again. I'm sure mine is 99% tendon related now, it's pretty isolated to reaching motion and the tendon the connects to the top of the shoulder but the MRI did show definite minor tears and a lot of arthritis.

[dec11]

I knew you would be all over this, as am I... Time for more Google. Damn Dec, mine has been since around April also. I think after the 1st of the year I am going to tell the doc to do some cutting.

Ive been fighting it with PT, ART, meds, rest, typical rotator cuff exercises and nothing is really working. It starts to get better then any little work and it's bad again. I'm sure mine is 99% tendon related now, it's pretty isolated to reaching motion and the tendon the connects to the top of the shoulder but the MRI did show definite minor tears and a lot of arthritis.

jimmyinkedup recommended Joint Force by E-Pharm to me and its def making a noticable difference. i have also given the chest, shoulder and back work the heave ho for just over a month now and reckon this combined with the Joint Force is making a diff. i guess the true test will come when i start exercising that joint again and if it gives again im just sticking to arms, deads and leg workouts until i get scanned