ContactTalk toa real person.Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.
The subacromial bursa is a thin sac that lets the rotator cuff glide under the acromion.
When it inflames and thickens, every reach pinches it.Bursitis and impingement are two names for the same mechanical problem seen from different angles.
Aching pain on the outside of the shoulder and upper arm, worse reaching overhead or behind the back and when lying on that side. Stiffness in the morning.
Sudden severe pain with warmth and redness can mean an infected or crystal bursitis and is seen the same day.
Common signs
Ache on the outside of the shoulder
Worse overhead or behind the back
Night pain on that side
Morning stiffness
See us sooner if
Warm, red, suddenly severe
Fever with shoulder pain
Shoulder Bursitis
Causes
Repetitive overhead work or sport, poor shoulder blade mechanics, a hooked acromion, and underlying rotator cuff fraying.Gout and rheumatoid arthritis can inflame the bursa directly.A single hard day of overhead work can set it off.
Shoulder Bursitis
How We Diagnose It
Exam reproduces the painful arc.X-rays check the acromion shape. Ultrasound shows the thickened bursa and any cuff tear. A corticosteroid injection that relieves the pain confirms the diagnosis.Fluid is drawn if infection or gout is suspected.Most resolve with therapy and a single injection at our Provo or Orem clinic. Dr. Taylor, Dr. Christensen and Dr. Carlson operate at Utah Valley Hospital and American Fork Hospital.
Shoulder Bursitis
Treatment Options
Activity changes, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy for the cuff and shoulder blade, and a corticosteroid injection resolve the great majority.
Arthroscopic removal of the bursa with a decompression is reserved for the few that fail months of care.
Andrews Institute sports medicine fellowship under Dr. James Andrews. Board certified in orthopedic surgery and orthopedic sports medicine. Fluent in Spanish.
ContactTalk toa real person.Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.
