Bursitis in shoulder.

[gazza285]

Anyone had this?

I’ve developed bursitis in my left shoulder, and it is completely debilitating. I’m not sleeping well, and the smallest physical efforts are rewarded with a dull ache that rapidly increases into an unbearable bone deep pain.

I haven’t done anything daft, not lifted anything heavy, it started after a night in a hotel, I woke with a crick in my neck, and it moved into my shoulder after a few days.

A thoroughly miserable experience.

[Hammersia]

Definitely bursitis? Would be unusual if that's not from overuse. More likely to be rotator cuff or some other impingement imho.

Anti inflammatories.

[drmotorsport]

Not specifically, but am recovering from an AC ligment injury which is similarly annoying. Alternating heat and ice packs, anti inflammatories and gentle range of movement exercises are typical place to start your recovery.

[Normodog]

I had this in my left shoulder. Mine stemmed from work and doing the same motion rebuilding turbines.

Rest, Naproxen and Physio helped but it was always there. Changed job and it gradually improved.

Tricky as you don't know what's caused yours.

[Imasurv]

I started developing pain and soreness in my right shoulder in November which developed slowly into restricted movement and ‘weakness’ preventing me from lifting my arm above my shoulder. Sudden jerks cause excruciating pain which is not immediate and then subsides over around a minute. Seen a physio and they think it’s impingement. Treating it with ice three times a day and ibuprofen. Slowly improving, but noticing it’s affecting my lower arm and elbow now too.

[M1AGM]

Yes have/had this. It is surprisingly debilitating and makes sleeping difficult.

You can go for surgery but I wanted to avoid if possible. My chiropractor was very helpful and did some manipulation but also suggested I try hanging by my arms for up to a minute at a time to get the shoulder and muscles back into their natural position (we were once apes swinging from trees). I have a doorway pullup bar at home so started doing that. It hurt like fk the first few times, could only manage a few seconds but after a few weeks of doing it daily it eased and my hanging stamina increased from 10 seconds to 30. A few months on and the pain is all but gone and I can do most of what I used to do before the pain started. Worth a try.

Eta - obvs dont do this if you don’t have a proper diagnosis!

Edited by M1AGM on Thursday 4th January 20:45

[Scabutz]

I had this. It took months to resolve. I first noticed it when decorating and couldn't keep my arm above my head for long. Had months of physio, then saw musculoskeletal consultant, given strong anti inflammatory pills, stronger than Naproxen, didn't work. Eventually had a steriod injection into the bursa.

That solved it for a few months and it came back. Had an MRI scan. Has a small year in a rotator cuff. 2nd steriod injection later and that solved it.

It's been largely ok since, occasional stiffness.

Thank god for Axa PMI as I had a couple of grands worth of treatment.

[M1AGM]

I had 2 steroid injections early on which each time did resolve it for a couple of months but I always felt it wasn’t dealing with the cause, just the symptoms.

[fourstardan]

I had elbow bursitis last year, it was horrendous and turned my elbow into a bag of squidge.

Doc put me on Fluoxcillin for about 2 weeks and it slowly healed.

Didn't know it could happen on the shoulder.

[Brasshande]

I had it in both elbows at the same time last year, very unpleasant but nothing really seemed to help it, it eventually went away on its own after about six weeks or so. Ibuprofen gel on the swelling slightly took the edge off but i pretty much had to just wait it out

[andyxxx]

fourstardan said:

I had elbow bursitis last year, it was horrendous and turned my elbow into a bag of squidge.

Doc put me on Fluoxcillin for about 2 weeks and it slowly healed.

Didn't know it could happen on the shoulder.

4 weeks ago I developed bursitis in my elbow (hadn’t knocked it or been doing anything overly repetitive)

12 hours after noticing the small semi golf size lump, my arm had doubled in size and was extremely painful! A&E walk in booked me straight in and an hour later was on a drip (also Fluoxcillin) for three days as they were concerned about Sepsis.
Discharged with a further 2 weeks of anti/b which eventually got it under control.

Four weeks on & still painful and only just able to move it.

How long was it before you were fully healed with full use and zero pain?

[fourstardan]

andyxxx said:

4 weeks ago I developed bursitis in my elbow (hadn’t knocked it or been doing anything overly repetitive)

12 hours after noticing the small semi golf size lump, my arm had doubled in size and was extremely painful! A&E walk in booked me straight in and an hour later was on a drip (also Fluoxcillin) for three days as they were concerned about Sepsis.
Discharged with a further 2 weeks of anti/b which eventually got it under control.

Four weeks on & still painful and only just able to move it.

How long was it before you were fully healed with full use and zero pain?

Interesting, this was the same symptom as mine last year and like you it came out the blue, initially an isolated funny bone type pain then just grew and got rather squidy and hot to touch, Admittedly I play golf and gym so it may had been impacted by that.

I went to the doctor and had Fluoxicillin tablets and god they ripped through my guts like nobodies business. Not sure I'd want to spend three days in A&E.

I think I had about a month of full recovery and then soreness after for a few weeks (Brace helped).