How an MSK Injection Eases Shoulder Bursitis Symptoms

Shoulder Pain and Bursitis

Shoulder pain can hit at any time and has various culprits, including bursitis. When you have bursitis, your pain can strike suddenly, making the simplest tasks extremely difficult to accomplish.

If you're suffering from acute shoulder pain, the team at the InnovateMed Medical Group can help.

What is Shoulder Bursitis?

Your shoulders comprise several components, including bones, muscles, tendons, and bursa sacs. The bursa sacs are filled with fluid to allow the other shoulder parts to move smoothly against your bones.

The bursa sacs in your shoulder are located between the bones and other tissues. The subacromial bursae are your shoulder's most common bursa sacs and help the rotator cuff move smoothly across the top of your shoulder blade.

When everything works correctly, the bursa sacs remain fluid and aren't painful. However, if they become inflamed, you end up with a condition known as bursitis.

Bursitis is a painful issue that affects different areas of your body, including your shoulders. Overuse of your shoulder joint or acute injuries can lead to bursitis in one or both of your shoulder joints.

If you use your shoulders a lot for work or are an avid athlete, such as a baseball player, you're at an increased risk for shoulder bursitis. The constant overhead motion of your shoulder causes the bursae to become inflamed and painful.

Pain is only one of the symptoms of shoulder bursitis. You may also notice swelling or stiffness in your shoulder joints and decreased range of motion. Your shoulder may also be tender to the touch when you have bursitis.

Understanding an MSK Injection

When you have bursitis in your shoulders, our team may recommend an MSK injection, which stands for musculoskeletal injection. These injections are an excellent treatment option when other conservative methods have failed to relieve your pain and discomfort.

There are different types of MSK injections we use for various problems in your joints, including bursitis. You might benefit from a trigger point injection for spasming muscles or an intra-articular injection for joint pain.

Corticosteroid injections are common MSK injections for inflammation like bursitis in your shoulder joint. These injections contain anesthetic medication paired with a strong anti-inflammatory drug to decrease pain and inflammation in your shoulder joint.

Our team uses MSK injections to ease your discomfort without the need for surgery or other invasive procedures.

How Does an MSK Injection Work?

MSK injections work by addressing the root of your shoulder problem — inflammation. Various types of MSK injections are available, but the most prevalent are corticosteroid injections.

Corticosteroid injections have powerful anti-inflammatory properties that tame the swelling in your bursae. That helps to reduce your pain by decreasing inflammation within your shoulder joint.

Our team uses an ultrasound machine during the injection to ensure the needle is in the right spot. Once our team provides the proper hand placement, we inject the medication and numbing agent into your shoulder.

You may feel immediate relief from the anesthetic medication. At the same time, the anti-inflammatory may take a few days to kick in. However, once it does, you'll have long-lasting pain relief from shoulder bursitis.

Our team also provides you with activity modification and lifestyle tips to keep shoulder bursitis under control. These tips may include simple changes to your daily routine to take the stress off your shoulder joint, preventing bursitis flares down the road.

Conclusion

To learn more about how an MSK injection can help you, call our office today. You can also request an appointment online.