What is the best non-surgical treatment for Bursitis in Harpenden and Hertfordshire?

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Are you struggling with bursitis? Or think you may have bursitis?

Perhaps your shoulder or hip pain is interfering with your life. Maybe it’s stopping you from doing the things you love or you’re struggling to sleep, leaving you drained and frustrated. Even simple tasks lifting a cup of coffee or carrying the shopping can feel harder than they should.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. I see 100's of patients across Harpenden, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire come feeling exactly the same way.

The good news? Shoulder and hip bursitis often improve with non-surgical treatment. Jump to Bursitis information guide

You might have already tried an injection and been disappointed it didn’t fix the pain. You may want to avoid an injection or concerned that this means arthritis or more invasive treatment is down the line.

I've put together a guide, with information I've gathered in my 20+ years of treating bursitis. I’ll guide you through the concerns you may have and give answers to the three questions I’m asked most often:

What is the best non-surgical treatment for bursitis?
Can bursitis pain be treated without injections or surgery?
Will shockwave therapy or osteopathy help with bursitis
More information on Shockwave Therapy for bursitis

What is the best non-surgical treatment for bursitis?

Let's delve into Bursitis!

Bursitis is inflammation of a small fluid-filled sac (a bursa) that cushions tendons and bones. In the shoulder and hip, it often causes deep aching pain, worse when reaching overhead, lying on the sore side, or climbing stairs .Sound familiar?

My clinical thoughts on bursitis and this isn't on Dr Google! What I often find when examining people with bursitis is that the area around the joint has become very stiff- so with shoulder bursitis (neck and mid-back) and with hip bursitis (hip joint and lower back). This then means muscles around the joint become 'overworked' and bursitis can develop.

So, how can I help?

There are many non-invasive (no injections/surgery) treatments that can help.

The aim of treatment is on reducing irritation and improving movement mechanics so the bursa isn’t continually compressed. A typical plan may include:

Activity/load modification (reduce some aggravating activity in the short-term)
Targeted exercises (rotator cuff + scapular control for shoulder; gluteal strength + hip control for hip) - we'll guide you on this!
Manual therapy/osteopathy to ease pain and restore motion
Shockwave therapy (ESWT) in stubborn cases to calm pain and stimulate healing - especially if you've been in pain 4 weeks or more
Supportive advice (ergonomics, sleep positions, training tweaks

Can bursitis pain be treated without injections or surgery?

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Yes most shoulder and hip bursitis cases settle with conservative care when the plan addresses both pain and the reason the bursa is irritated.

In the early phase, (pre 4-weeks) we calm symptoms (relative rest, hands-on care, taping/heat/ice as appropriate).

As pain eases, we progress exercises to restore strength and control so the area tolerates everyday loading again.

It's important that you are given a structured programme that’s consistent rather than aggressive.

If you have had the problem over 4-weeks, so we would call it 'chronic' then we may suggest Shockwave therapy is the best treatment to speed up your recovery.

We'll get into Shockwave treatment in the next question. More information on Shockwave Therapy for bursitis

Will shockwave therapy or osteopathy help with bursitis?

🎥 Click on Video link - 'Can Shockwave or Osteopathy help with Bursitis'?

If you have been struggling in pain over 4 weeks (many of our patients have!) then Shockwave therapy is the best treatment to speed up your recovery

Shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive option we use for stubborn bursitis (and for associated gluteal or rotator-cuff tendinopathy). It aims to decrease pain and encourage tissue healing so you can progress rehab sooner. We typically combine Shockwave therapy with a graded strengthening programme for best results.

How Shockwave therapy works - by delivering focused acoustic sound waves into the painful area around the bursa. These pulses increase blood flow, stimulate the body’s natural healing response, and reduce overactive pain signals .More information on Shockwave Therapy for bursitis

In stubborn shoulder and hip bursitis, shockwave therapy can calm irritation in the soft tissues and surrounding tendons, making movement more comfortable and helping you progress with strengthening exercises. All with a 90% success rate!

Osteopathy/manual therapy often combined with our bursitis programmes can reduce pain, improve joint mobility, and make exercises more comfortable especially when the shoulder is stiff or the hip is irritable to lie on.

In conclusion, whether your pain is in the shoulder or hip, most bursitis improves without injections or surgery when you combine smart load management, targeted strengthening, and (when needed) hands-on care and shockwave therapy.

What's my best next step?

If you’re suffering from bursitis and you are living in the Harpenden, Hertfordshire, or Bedfordshire area and you're interested in our Bursitis Programme: