How an Osteopath can Help with Shoulder Pain and Bursitis.
How Can an Osteopath Help With Shoulder Pain and Bursitis
Shoulder pain can make everyday activities surprisingly difficult. Reaching overhead, putting on a shirt, sleeping on your side, lifting objects or playing sport can all become painful when the shoulder is irritated.
One common cause of shoulder pain is shoulder bursitis. While bursitis can be painful, it is important to understand that shoulder pain can have several different causes. A thorough assessment can help identify the factors contributing to your symptoms and guide an appropriate treatment and rehabilitation plan.
At Hoppers Crossing Sports & Spinal, our osteopaths assess shoulder pain from a whole-body perspective. We look at the shoulder, neck, upper back, surrounding muscles and how the shoulder moves during everyday activities and exercise.
What is shoulder bursitis?
A bursa is a small, fluid-filled structure that helps reduce friction between tissues around a joint.
There are several bursae around the shoulder. When a bursa becomes irritated, it can contribute to pain and sensitivity around the shoulder.
Shoulder bursitis may cause:
Pain when lifting your arm
Pain reaching overhead
Pain when reaching behind your back
Difficulty sleeping on the affected shoulder
Shoulder stiffness
Pain during gym exercises
Reduced shoulder movement
Tenderness around the shoulder
Pain during repetitive activities
Shoulder bursitis can develop following repetitive overhead activities, changes in exercise load, sporting activities or other factors that increase stress on the shoulder.
However, shoulder pain isn’t always caused by bursitis. Rotator cuff-related shoulder pain, tendon problems, joint irritation and referred pain from the neck can produce similar symptoms.
This is why an individual assessment is important.
How can an osteopath help shoulder pain and bursitis?
An osteopath can assess the shoulder and surrounding areas to determine what may be contributing to your symptoms.
Treatment will depend on your presentation and may include a combination of hands-on treatment, exercise rehabilitation, education and activity modification.
1. A comprehensive shoulder assessment
Your osteopath will begin by discussing your symptoms and how they started.
They may ask about:
When your shoulder pain began
Whether there was an injury
Activities that aggravate your pain
Your sleeping position
Work requirements
Exercise and sporting activities
Previous shoulder injuries
Neck symptoms
Your current range of movement
Your osteopath may then assess shoulder movement, strength, muscle function and the way your shoulder blade and upper back move.
The neck and upper back may also be assessed because problems in these areas can sometimes contribute to or mimic shoulder pain.
2. Hands-on osteopathic treatment
Depending on your assessment, osteopathic treatment may be used to help improve movement and reduce muscular tension around the shoulder and upper body.
Treatment may include techniques directed at:
The shoulder joint
Shoulder blade
Upper back
Neck
Chest muscles
Rotator cuff muscles
Upper arm
Surrounding soft tissues
The goal is not simply to “massage the bursitis”. Instead, treatment can be incorporated into a broader rehabilitation program designed around your symptoms and functional goals.
3. Exercise rehabilitation
Exercise is an important component of recovering from many shoulder problems.
Your osteopath may prescribe exercises designed to progressively improve:
Shoulder strength
Rotator cuff capacity
Shoulder blade control
Upper-back mobility
Shoulder range of motion
Load tolerance
Functional strength
Exercises can be modified according to your current level of pain and gradually progressed as your shoulder becomes stronger.
The aim is to help your shoulder tolerate the activities you need and want to perform.
4. Modifying activities that aggravate your shoulder
Sometimes shoulder pain develops after a sudden increase in activity.
For example, you might have:
Started a new gym program
Increased your swimming
Taken up tennis
Started painting or renovating
Increased overhead work
Changed your training program
Increased repetitive work activities
Completely avoiding movement isn’t always the best long-term solution.
Instead, your osteopath can help you identify activities that may currently be irritating your shoulder and determine how they can be temporarily modified.
As your capacity improves, these activities can generally be reintroduced progressively.
5. Improving shoulder strength and load tolerance
One of the goals of rehabilitation is to gradually improve the shoulder’s ability to tolerate load.
For someone who works at a desk, this might involve building tolerance for prolonged computer work.
For someone who works in construction, gardening or a physical trade, rehabilitation may need to include lifting and overhead activities.
For an athlete, rehabilitation may focus on returning to throwing, swimming, tennis, weightlifting or other sporting movements.
Your exercise program should therefore be specific to your lifestyle rather than simply being a generic list of shoulder exercises.
6. Helping you sleep with shoulder pain
Shoulder pain can be particularly frustrating at night.
Sleeping directly on the affected shoulder may aggravate symptoms, while changing positions can sometimes provide temporary relief.
Your osteopath can discuss strategies that may make sleeping more comfortable, including modifying your sleeping position and managing activities during the day that may be contributing to your symptoms.
Improving sleep can also be an important part of recovery because poor sleep can make pain more difficult to manage.
What exercises can help shoulder bursitis?
The best exercises depend on the cause of your shoulder pain and your current level of irritability.
Depending on your assessment, rehabilitation may include exercises such as:
Shoulder blade strengthening
Exercises that strengthen the muscles controlling the shoulder blade can help improve shoulder function.
Rotator cuff strengthening
Progressive strengthening can help improve the shoulder’s capacity to tolerate everyday and sporting activities.
Shoulder mobility exercises
Gentle mobility exercises may be appropriate when shoulder movement is restricted.
Progressive resistance exercises
As your symptoms improve, resistance can gradually be increased to build strength and load tolerance.
It is important not to assume that one exercise program is suitable for every person with “bursitis”. The underlying cause of shoulder pain and the individual’s response to movement need to be considered.
Can you exercise with shoulder bursitis?
In many cases, you can continue exercising while recovering from shoulder pain, although you may need to modify certain activities.
For example, you may temporarily reduce:
Heavy overhead pressing
Repetitive overhead movements
Exercises that significantly aggravate your symptoms
High-volume shoulder training
This doesn’t necessarily mean stopping exercise altogether.
Your osteopath can help you identify ways to continue training while gradually rebuilding your shoulder’s capacity.
When should you see an osteopath for shoulder pain?
Consider having your shoulder assessed if your pain:
Hasn’t improved with rest
Is affecting your sleep
Is limiting your ability to exercise
Makes reaching overhead difficult
Is affecting your work
Keeps returning
Is getting progressively worse
Developed after an injury
Is associated with significant weakness or loss of movement
A thorough assessment can help determine whether your symptoms are appropriate for osteopathic management or whether further medical assessment or imaging is required.
Shoulder pain isn’t always caused by bursitis
It’s common for people to assume that shoulder pain automatically means they have bursitis.
However, shoulder pain can have a number of different causes.
These may include:
Rotator cuff-related shoulder pain
Tendinopathy
Shoulder joint problems
AC joint irritation
Frozen shoulder
Referred pain from the neck
Traumatic injuries
Muscle strains
Because different conditions can produce similar symptoms, getting an accurate clinical assessment is an important first step.
When should you seek medical attention?
Some shoulder injuries require prompt medical assessment.
Seek medical attention following a significant injury, particularly if you have severe pain, obvious deformity, significant weakness or an inability to use your arm normally.
Chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea or pain that may be coming from the chest rather than the shoulder also requires urgent medical attention.
Your osteopath can refer you for appropriate medical assessment when your symptoms fall outside the scope of osteopathic management.
Osteopath for Shoulder Pain in Hoppers Crossing
If you’re experiencing shoulder pain, shoulder bursitis, rotator cuff pain or difficulty moving your shoulder, an osteopath may be able to help.
At Hoppers Crossing Sports & Spinal, we combine hands-on osteopathic treatment with exercise rehabilitation, education and practical advice to help you improve shoulder function and return to the activities you enjoy.
Our clinic provides osteopathic care for people from Hoppers Crossing, Werribee, Point Cook, Williams Landing, Wyndham Vale, Mambourin, Manor Lakes, Seabrook, Tarneit, Truganina, Laverton and Altona Meadows.
Whether your shoulder pain is affecting your work, gym training, sport or sleep, an assessment can help determine what may be contributing to your symptoms and what steps you can take towards recovery.
Looking for an Osteopath near Hoppers Crossing, Werribee or Point Cook?
Hoppers Crossing Sports & Spinal provides osteopathic treatment and rehabilitation for shoulder pain, bursitis, rotator cuff problems and other musculoskeletal conditions.
Contact the clinic today to arrange an appointment and have your shoulder assessed.