Shoulder Bursitis Treatments

Once your medical professional has diagnosed your condition, they will be able to recommend the most effective treatment for your shoulder injury. There are a variety of options available depending on the severity of your injury.

Inflammation, one of the first symptoms of shoulder damage, is normally a result of overuse of an area on your shoulder, a traumatic injury to your shoulder, rotator cuff tendonitis/bursitis, a rotator cuff impingement or a rotator cuff tear. The preliminary treatment for most of these conditions generally starts with non-operative options. Surgery is normally not required for bursitis, however if you fail to see improvement with the conservative treatments, your physician may recommend surgery to drain the extra fluid from the bursa or to remove the bursa completely.

Non-Surgical Shoulder Bursitis Treatment options

Your initial treatment should involve decreasing any swelling, relieving any pain and stress on the shoulder, correcting any biomechanical dysfunction, and then restoring strength and mobility to your injured shoulder. It is also very important to follow any instructions you receive from your physician.

To decrease inflammation and relieve pain for a chronic or diagnosed shoulder bursitis, adhere to the URICE philosophy within the first 48 - 72 hours:

Ultrasound around your injured shoulder for 5 minutes, 3 times per day. This is best accomplished with a personal, therapeutic ultrasound device.

Rest your arm and limit your overhead activity (if you are able to move your arm)

Ice the area 2-3 times/day for approximately 15 - 20 minutes at a time (do not apply ice directly on your skin, rather wrap it in a cloth or towel). or better yet a cold gel pack that molds to your body.

Compress the area if possible by adding light pressure to minimize swelling (make sure the compress is snug; if too tight it could cause numbness, tingling or more pain).

Elevate the injured area above chest level to relieve the pressure from swelling and allow fluid to drain from the injured part.

If you do not have access to ultrasound therapy or you have experienced an acute injury and/or have not been diagnosed, adhere to the RICE philosophy within the first 48 - 72 hours.

Ultrasound therapy is a great therapeutic option to decrease inflammation, pain and soft tissue (muscle, connective and nerve tissue) damage experienced with shoulder bursitis and other shoulder injuries. This can be received using a portable, home ultrasound device (self-administered) or by seeing a physiotherapist. The treatment is easy, painless, and generally requires between 5 - 10 minutes. It is based on a form of deep heat therapy which is generated through high frequency sound waves (that we can not hear). These waves send vibrations deep into your body and raise the temperature of your soft tissue. The waves are delivered through a hand held transducer and medicinal conductive gel that are used together in a slow, circular motion on your skin over the injured area. You may experience a slight tingling or warm sensation during the process as a result of the gel; this enhances the therapeutic effects of ultrasound (Phonophoresis).

A Black Body Radiant Energy Kit is one of the most helpful tools for a wide varity of painful bursa related problems. Through the absorption of radiant energy, tissues are safely and gently heated - increasing blood flow within the treated area. Your body's natural response to this increased temperature is to try to maintain a condition of homeostasis - a balanced environment or state of equilibrium throughout the body. To do this, your body responds with a rapid increase in blood flow to the area (this is known as vasodilation), increasing the supply of nutrients to injured cells and flushing out toxins (including lactic acid, commonly found in trigger points) to promote healing. Our Thermotex Platinum Pain Relief Device provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief with no side effects.

Our Cold Compression Wraps are recommended by countless medical professionals. That's why we sell them, because they are the best. We have noticed over time that our customers are so fond of our cold wraps that they are frequently coming back and ordering a second one. The wraps are becoming very popular with baseball and soccer trainers, and the wraps can be conveniently stored in a cooler for quick application on the field when needed.

Ultrasound therapy is also a helpful tool for pain prevention of bursa injuires, and having a portable ultrasound device at home can be a powerful and convenient treatment tool. If you have symptoms or are recovering from a bursa related injury, using ultrasound on a regular basis before your activity or throughout the day will help relax your muscles, tendons and tissues, diminish pain and inflammation, soften scar tissue and contribute greatly to the healing of your injury.

If you suffer from pain after certain activities or movements use ultrasound therapy when you complete the activity and then rest. Limit the application of ultrasound to a couple of treatments per day (the manual will recommend treatment frequency depending upon the injury). In between ultrasound treatments, maximize your pain relief and injury recovery by using the Thermotex Personal Therapy System. Proven Performance, Proven Relief - only found at MendMeShop.com. If you have been given a treatment plan by your health professional, make sure you adhere to it to ensure pain free living. In general, people who are committed to their therapies and exercises will have the best medical outcomes.