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What are the Causes of Bursitis Shoulder?
It is not very clear what exactly causes bursitis shoulder and related shoulder pain but certain common factors have been identified. They are:
- Increasing age - e.g. in women over the age of 40
- Infections
- Other health conditions - diabetes, gout, tendonitis, thyroid disease, arthritis
- Sports injuries
- Other injuries, such as falls
- Overuse of the shoulder - e.g. in students who study for long hours with their elbows resting on the table (student’s elbow) or miners using their hands (miner’s elbow)
What are the Symptoms and Signs of Bursitis Shoulder?
Injury, infection, or other health conditions that cause bursitis of the shoulder cause pain to the shoulder and inevitably set off a cycle of increased inflammation, restricted shoulder movement, and pain. This causes restrictions in movement and affects the quality of life. The general symptoms of bursitis shoulder are:
- Shoulder pain when lying on the affected shoulder
- Shoulder pain when trying to get something with the affected shoulder
- Pain when the arm is kept above the head during sleep
- Pain while sleeping
- Pain while stretching the affected shoulder
References:
- Cedars-Sinai. Bursitis of the Shoulder. Accessed Feb 25, 2019. Cited Feb 25, 2019. - (https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/b/bursitis-of-the-shoulder.html)
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Shoulder Bursitis. Accessed Feb 25, 2019. Cited Feb 25, 2019. - (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/orthopaedic_disorders/shoulder_bursitis_22,ShoulderBursitis)
- Bursitis - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513340/)
- Singh B, Bakti N, Gulihar A. Current Concepts in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Shoulder Impingement. Indian J Orthop. 2017;51(5):516-523.
- Sizer PS, et al. Diagnosis and Management of the Painful Shoulder. Part 2: Examination, Interpretation, and Management. Pain Practice. 2003;3(2):152-185.
- Tangrood ZJ et al. Clinical course of pain and disability in patients with subacromial shoulder pain: a systematic review protocol. BMJ Open 2018;8:e019393. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019393.
- Diercks R, Bron C, Dorrestijn O, et al. Guideline for diagnosis and treatment of subacromial pain syndrome: a multidisciplinary review by the Dutch Orthopaedic Association. Acta Orthop. 2014;85(3):314-22.
- Koester MC, George MS, Kuhn JE. Shoulder impingement syndrome. Am J Med. 2005;118(5):452-455.
- Petri M et al. Colecoxib effectively treats patients with acute shoulder tendinits/bursitis. J Rheum. 2004;31(8):1614-1620.
