Bursitis of the Shoulder: Symptoms, Treatment, and Exercises

If lifting a coffee mug or reaching into the top cabinet suddenly feels like an Olympic event, your shoulder might be trying to tell you something. One common culprit behind that nagging, catch-your-breath pain is bursitis of the shoulder. The good news: with the right mix of rest, treatment, and targeted exercises, most people can calm the inflammation and get back to regular life without constant shoulder drama.

What Is Bursitis of the Shoulder?

Throughout your body are tiny, fluid-filled cushions called bursae. Their job is to sit between bones, tendons, and muscles and reduce friction as you move. When a bursa gets irritated and inflamed, you get bursitis. In the shoulder, this usually involves the subacromial bursa, which sits between the top of your shoulder blade (the acromion) and the rotator cuff tendons.

The shoulder is already a busy joint, with a wide range of motion and lots of soft tissue sliding around. Add repetitive overhead motions, poor posture, or an awkward fall, and that subacromial bursa can swell and become painfully sensitive. Many people experience shoulder bursitis alongside rotator cuff tendinitis or shoulder impingement, making everyday tasks surprisingly difficult.

Symptoms of Shoulder Bursitis

Shoulder bursitis symptoms can range from mildly annoying to “I can’t sleep on this side at all.” Common signs include:​

• Dull, aching pain deep in the shoulder, often on the outside (lateral) upper arm.
• Pain with overhead movement such as reaching up to get dishes, putting on a shirt, or combing your hair.
• Night pain, especially when lying on the affected side.
• Stiffness and reduced range of motionthe shoulder feels “tight” or blocked when you try to raise your arm.
• Tenderness to touch around the top or side of the shoulder.
• Swelling, warmth, or redness over the joint in more inflamed cases.

Pain from shoulder bursitis can build gradually or appear after a specific incident, like lifting something heavy awkwardly or a minor fall. Sometimes the ache is constant but becomes sharp when you reach overhead or behind your back.

Red Flag Symptoms: When to See a Doctor ASAP

While most cases of shoulder bursitis are not emergencies, you should seek prompt medical care if you notice:​

• Sudden, severe shoulder pain after an injury.
• Inability to move the shoulder or arm at all.
• Significant swelling, warmth, and redness around the joint.
• Fever or feeling unwell along with shoulder pain (possible septic bursitis or infection).
• Numbness or tingling down the arm.

These signs may point to a rotator cuff tear, fracture, nerve issue, or infection rather than simple bursitis and need professional evaluation.

What Causes Shoulder Bursitis?

Many people can trace shoulder bursitis back to a familiar story: “I started painting the ceiling,” “I upped my tennis serves,” or “I’ve been lifting boxes at work all week.” The most common causes and risk factors include:​

Repetitive Overhead Motion and Overuse

Repeating the same arm motion again and again can irritate the bursa and surrounding tissues. Higher-risk groups include:

• Athletes in overhead sports (tennis, baseball pitchers, swimmers, volleyball players).
• Workers who frequently reach overhead (painters, carpenters, electricians, warehouse workers).
• People doing new or intense workout routines involving heavy presses or overhead lifts.

Direct Injury or Trauma

A fall onto the shoulder, bumping the joint hard, or sudden strain when catching a heavy object can inflame the bursa quickly. This often leads to acute shoulder bursitisa sharp, noticeable flare that may improve as the injury heals.

Underlying Health Conditions

Systemic conditions that cause inflammation in the body can also irritate the bursae, including:

• Rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritis.
• Gout or calcium crystal deposition around the joint.
• Metabolic conditions like diabetes that affect tissue healing.

In rare cases, infection can spread to the bursa and cause septic bursitis, which needs urgent antibiotics and sometimes drainage.

Age, Posture, and Shoulder Mechanics

As we age, the tendons and soft tissues around the shoulder can degenerate, and bony spurs may form on the acromion. These changes narrow the space where the bursa and rotator cuff live, increasing friction and the risk of impingement and bursitis. Slouched posture and weak shoulder blade (scapular) muscles can also contribute.

How Shoulder Bursitis Is Diagnosed

There’s no single “bursitis test,” so healthcare providers piece together clues from your symptoms, physical exam, and sometimes imaging. A typical evaluation may include:​

• Medical history: When pain started, what makes it better or worse, your job, hobbies, and any recent injuries.
• Physical examination: The clinician checks range of motion, strength, tenderness over the bursa, and specific shoulder tests to distinguish bursitis from rotator cuff tears or frozen shoulder.
• X-rays: These don’t show the bursa itself but can reveal arthritis, bone spurs, or other structural issues.
• Ultrasound or MRI: These imaging tests can show inflamed bursae, rotator cuff tendons, and other soft tissues.
• Fluid sampling (aspiration): If infection is suspected, a needle may be used to remove fluid from the bursa for lab analysis.

Self-diagnosing shoulder pain based on internet searches alone is risky. If symptoms last more than a couple of weeks, or if your pain is severe, it’s smart to get a professional opinion.

Treatment Options for Shoulder Bursitis

The main goals of treatment are to reduce pain and inflammation, restore motion, and prevent future flare-ups. Most people improve with non-surgical care, especially when they address both the irritated bursa and the movement patterns that aggravated it in the first place.

At-Home Care and Lifestyle Changes

• Rest and activity modification: Avoid or reduce painful overhead motions for a short period. This doesn’t mean immobilizing the shoulder completelygentle, pain-free movement helps keep the joint from stiffening up.
• Ice therapy: Applying an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel for 15–20 minutes, several times per day, can help reduce swelling and pain in the early phases.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen may help with pain and inflammation. Always follow package directions and ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if they are safe for you, especially if you have kidney, heart, or stomach issues.
• Heat (later on): Once the acute inflammation calms, gentle heatsuch as a warm shower or heating pad on a low settingmay help relax surrounding muscles.
• Sleep position tweaks: Try sleeping on the opposite side with a pillow supporting the affected arm or on your back with a pillow under the arm to keep the shoulder in a more neutral, comfortable position.

Medical Treatments

If basic measures aren’t enough, your provider may suggest additional options:​

• Physical therapy: A physical therapist can design a personalized shoulder bursitis treatment program that addresses posture, flexibility, and rotator cuff and scapular strength. This is often the key to long-term relief.
• Corticosteroid injection: A steroid injection into the bursa can provide powerful, targeted anti-inflammatory relief, sometimes guided by ultrasound for accuracy. It’s usually considered when pain significantly limits daily activities despite other measures.
• Antibiotics: For septic (infected) bursitis, oral or intravenous antibioticsand sometimes drainageare necessary.
• Surgery: Very rarely, persistent shoulder bursitis that doesn’t respond to conservative care may require arthroscopic surgery to remove the inflamed bursa and address any bone spurs or structural issues.

Your healthcare provider will tailor treatment based on your age, activity level, overall health, and whether there are other shoulder problems like a rotator cuff tear or arthritis.

Preventing Future Flare-Ups

Once your shoulder feels better, prevention is all about respecting your limits and supporting healthy mechanics:

• Warm up before sports or heavy lifting.
• Break up long periods of overhead work with rest intervals.
• Keep your shoulders and upper back strong and flexible.
• Maintain good posturethink tall chest and relaxed, slightly back shoulder blades.

Exercises for Shoulder Bursitis

Gentle, well-chosen shoulder bursitis exercises can improve range of motion, reduce pain, and strengthen the muscles that protect your joint. However, timing matters. You usually want the worst of the acute pain and inflammation to settle before diving into strengthening. A physical therapist can help you figure out when to progress.

Important: Stop any exercise that causes sharp or worsening pain and check with a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have other medical conditions.

1. Pendulum Swings

Pendulum swings are a classic early movement exercise that lets the shoulder move gently without active lifting.

1. Stand beside a table or counter and lean forward slightly, supporting yourself with your unaffected arm.
2. Let the affected arm hang relaxed toward the floor.
3. Gently sway your body so the arm swings in small circles or back and forth.
4. Move only within a pain-free range. Try for 30–60 seconds, a few times per day.

2. Wall Walk (Finger Ladder)

This exercise helps restore shoulder elevation without forcing the joint.

1. Stand facing a wall at arm’s length.
2. Place the fingers of your affected arm on the wall at waist level.
3. “Walk” your fingers up the wall, letting the shoulder lift as far as is comfortable.
4. Pause briefly, then slowly walk your fingers back down.
5. Repeat for 8–10 repetitions, once or twice a day as tolerated.

3. Shoulder Blade (Scapular) Squeezes

Strengthening the muscles that control your shoulder blades improves overall shoulder mechanics and reduces stress on the bursa.

1. Sit or stand tall with arms resting by your sides.
2. Gently draw your shoulder blades down and together, as if tucking them into your back pockets.
3. Hold for about 5–6 seconds, then relax.
4. Repeat 8–12 times, a couple of times per day.

4. Isometric External Rotation

This exercise engages the rotator cuff without large movements.

1. Stand sideways next to a wall with your elbow bent 90 degrees and tucked into your side.
2. Place the back of your hand lightly against the wall.
3. Gently push your hand outward into the wall without letting the shoulder move.
4. Hold 5–10 seconds, then relax.
5. Repeat 8–10 times as long as there’s no sharp pain.

5. Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch

This stretch targets the back part of the shoulder, often tight in people with subacromial bursitis.

1. Gently bring your affected arm across your chest at shoulder height.
2. Use your other hand to support the arm just above the elbow.
3. Pull the arm slightly closer to your chest until you feel a mild stretchno forcing.
4. Hold for 15–30 seconds, then relax.
5. Repeat 2–3 times, a few days a week.

Over time, your program may progress to resistance bands, light weights, and more advanced stability exercises. The key is slow, steady progress and listening to your shoulder’s feedback.

Living With Shoulder Bursitis: Real-World Experiences and Tips

Medical descriptions are helpful, but real life with shoulder bursitis can feel like a strange mix of frustration, trial-and-error, and small victories. While everyone’s experience is different, certain themes show up again and again in patient stories and clinical practice.

“I Thought It Was Just a Stiff Shoulder”

Many people initially dismiss the pain as “sleeping funny” or “getting older.” An office worker might notice a nagging ache when reaching for a laptop bag or adjusting a monitor. The problem is easy to ignore at firstuntil picking up a backpack or reaching for a coffee mug suddenly sends a sharp jolt through the arm.

One common turning point is nighttime pain. It’s hard to shrug off shoulder bursitis when you can’t find a comfortable position in bed. That’s often when people finally seek medical advice, realizing the pain isn’t simply going away on its own.

Learning to Respect Your Shoulder’s Limits

People who love sports, fitness, or hands-on work often find the “rest” part of treatment the most mentally challenging. A recreational tennis player might be told to take a break from serving or overhead shots, which can feel like a punishment. But almost everyone who recovers well eventually admits that dialing back the intensity early on helped them heal faster.

A useful mental shift is to think of rest not as “doing nothing,” but as “active healing.” You’re temporarily changing your routine to support long-term performance. That might mean switching from overhead presses to lower-body workouts, or focusing on gentle mobility and core strength while your shoulder calms down.

Small Adjustments That Make a Big Difference

People with shoulder bursitis routinely discover that tiny changes in daily habits reduce pain more than they expected:

• Carrying bags on the opposite side or using a backpack instead of a single-strap bag.
• Lowering shelves so frequently used items aren’t always above shoulder height.
• Adjusting the height of a computer screen or workstation to avoid constant reaching.
• Using a step stool instead of repeatedly stretching to reach high cabinets.

These tweaks may seem minor, but they reduce the repetitive stress that fuels shoulder bursitis in the first place.

The Role of Physical Therapy and Home Exercises

Many people describe physical therapy as the moment when their recovery “finally started to make sense.” Instead of just being told to rest, they learn exactly which muscles are weak, which movements are pinching the bursa, and how to gradually retrain their shoulder.

A typical experience involves starting with very gentle, almost boring exerciseslike pendulum swings and scapular squeezesthen building up to resistance bands and more dynamic movements. Over a few weeks, activities that felt impossible (like reaching into the back seat of a car or washing hair with both hands) become manageable again.

Being Patient With the Timeline

Shoulder bursitis often improves over weeks to a few months, not overnight. Clinical guidelines and rehabilitation programs commonly note that consistent exercises and activity modification can produce clear improvements in 6–12 weeks, with continued progress beyond that.

It’s completely normal to have good days and bad days along the way. Many people find it helpful to track their progress with simple notes: how far they can lift their arm, how well they slept, or how many exercises they completed. Looking back at those notes can make it easier to see that, despite ups and downs, the overall trend is improvement.

Perhaps the most important “experience-based” lesson is this: ignoring shoulder bursitis rarely works out well, but responding early with smart treatment, clear boundaries, and a calm, consistent exercise routine often gives your shoulder the best chance to recover and stay happy long term.

Conclusion

Bursitis of the shoulder may be small on a scan but big on impact, limiting everyday motions and stealing your sleep. Understanding what the bursa does, recognizing key symptoms, and seeking timely care can help you avoid long-term problems. With a combination of rest, targeted treatment, and progressive shoulder bursitis exercises, many people return to their usual activities without constant pain.

If your shoulder has been complaining for more than a couple of weeks, take it seriouslytalk with a healthcare professional, get a clear diagnosis, and work with them to design a realistic, sustainable plan. Your future self (and your future overhead reach) will thank you.