Shoulder Bursitis

what does gout in shoulder feel like
what does gout in shoulder feel like

What are shoulder bursitis symptoms?

The most common symptoms of bursitis in your shoulder include:

  • Shoulder pain
  • Swelling
  • Stiffness
  • A reduced range of motion (how far you can move your shoulder without pain)
  • Tenderness to even a light touch
  • Discoloration or redness on your skin
  • A feeling of heat or warmth

What does shoulder bursitis feel like?

Shoulder pain from bursitis can come on suddenly or build up gradually. You may feel a dull ache all the time. But the pain may become sharp or feel like a pinch inside your shoulder when you lift your arm over your head.

You’ll probably feel more (or worse) pain if you sleep or lay on your affected shoulder.

What causes shoulder bursitis?

Injuries and overusing your shoulder are the most common causes of bursitis. Specifically, sports injuries or repetitive strain injuries are usually what cause chronic and acute shoulder bursitis.

Any injury that damages your shoulder can irritate the bursae and cause inflammation. Using your shoulder for a repetitive motion can irritate your bursae. That’s especially true for movements that require a lot of force — like swinging a hammer or throwing a ball. A motion may not hurt at first, but if you keep doing it often, your shoulder may not have time to heal and irritation can build up over time.

Infections from another place in your body that spread to the bursae in your shoulder cause infectious shoulder bursitis. Bacterial infections (like staph infections) are the most common causes.

What are the risk factors?

Anyone can experience shoulder bursitis. But you have a higher risk if you:

  • Play a sport that requires you to do repetitive motions with your shoulder (like throwing, rowing or swinging a bat, club or racket)
  • Do physical work that puts a lot of stress on your shoulders, like working with tools or lifting heavy objects; people like painters, carpenters, landscapers, plumbers and warehouse workers have a higher risk than other types of workers
  • Have a health condition that causes inflammation in your body

Some conditions that may increase your risk of bursitis include:

  • Inflammatory arthritis (like rheumatoid arthritis, gout or psoriatic arthritis)
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Thyroid disease

What are the complications of shoulder bursitis?

Chronic shoulder bursitis and repeated flare-ups (periods of symptoms that come and go) can damage your bursae. Over time, this may affect your shoulder’s mobility (how well you can move it).

Bacteria that cause infectious (septic) shoulder bursitis can spread to organs and other parts of your body if the infection isn’t treated. Severe infections can cause sepsis, which can be fatal. This is rare, but it’s important to see a healthcare provider right away if you think you have an infection.

This post was last modified on December 7, 2024 9:01 am