Signs & Symptoms

Shoulder Pain
Tenderness and pain at the site of the inflamed bursa is usually felt. Individuals affected may feel a sharp pain with their usual shoulder motions.
Reduced Range Of Movement
Due to pain and inflammation, individuals experience a reduced range of motion. Even during passive shoulder motion made with assistance (such as a doctor or physical therapist trying to rotate the arm), the pain can be sharp and interfere with daily activities like bathing, getting dressed, and other activities.


Swelling And Redness
The soft tissues surrounding the bursae can become irritated and swell. Swelling can occur in shoulder osteoarthritis, though it is typically less pronounced than in other types of arthritis, such as knee or hand arthritis.
The StemX Diagnosis
Evaluation
We check how you're doing. After we understand your injury, which includes past surgeries, medications and other related information, we will conduct a thorough physical check of the injury site and other vitals and explain the possible outcomes for pain alleviation.Imaging
We take a closer look. For shoulder bursitis, an MRI image or an X-ray may be required to assess what course of treatment would be best suited for your conditionTreatment
Based on your age, severity of injury and other pertinent factors, we will administer the best regenerative treatment option and follow it up with a care plan in order to achieve the highest likelihood of success of the treatment.Our team of doctors will determine suitability of treatments through a full evaluation and ultrasound to understand the level of damage and deterioration of the injured area.
While we'd like to help everyone, 30% of potential patients will be turned away. This could be due to the following reasons:
- Deterioration of the injury and early signs of severe joint diseases are visible.
- Surgery is the only option. Our doctors will be candid with you if we feel this is your only path forward.
- Other medical conditions that do not make the injections feasible.
- A history of previous surgery with hardware implanted in the joints as there is a possible risk of infection with injecting into the area with hardware.
Treatment Options
Some hobbies and activities such as golf, baseball, gymming, knitting, and weight training can put repeated stress on the shoulder causing bursitis.
The field of regenerative medicine has revolutionized the treatment of sports-related and age-related bone and joint injuries. Several regenerative medicine treatments have shown clinical efficacy for shoulder bursitis: Wharton's Jelly, growth factor injections, and plasma rich platelet (PRP) injections.
A growing number of professional and amateur athletes are also turning to regenerative medicine treatments before considering surgery. The advantages of regenerative medicine treatments are:
- Little to no downtime due to the procedure
- Results can be boosted with physical therapy
- Avoidance of the side effects of pharmaceutical and cortisone drug therapies
- All-natural biological treatments help to avoid surgery
Treatment | Efficacy range | Effects in* |
---|---|---|
Prolotherapy | Low: Prolotherapy injections strengthen weakened joints by stimulating the body's healing response | Approximately 3 weeks |
Hyaluronic Acid | Low: HA injections provide pain relief as it lubricates the joints | Approximately 3 weeks |
Platelet rich plasma | Moderate: The extracted platelets secrete at least seven different growth factors that promote healing and pain relief | Approximately 4-6 weeks or earlier |
Growth Factors | High: These injections kickstart tissue repair offsetting joint degeneration | Approximately 6-9 months or earlier |
Wharton's Jelly | High: These injections stimulate resident cells to regenerate and heal the damaged tissue, by lowering pain, and reducing inflammation | Approximately 6-9 months or earlier |
Prolotherapy
Efficacy rangeLow: Prolotherapy injections strengthen weakened joints by stimulating the body's healing response
Effects in* Approximately 3 weeksHyaluronic Acid
Efficacy rangeLow: HA injections provide pain relief as it lubricates the joints
Effects in* Approximately 3 weeksPlatelet rich plasma
Efficacy rangeModerate: The extracted platelets secrete at least seven different growth factors that promote healing and pain relief
Effects in*Approximately 4-6 weeks or earlier
Growth Factors
Efficacy rangeHigh: These injections kickstart tissue repair offsetting joint degeneration
Effects in*Approximately 6-9 months or earlier
Wharton's Jelly
Efficacy rangeHigh: These injections stimulate resident cells to regenerate and heal the damaged tissue, by lowering pain, and reducing inflammation
Effects in*Approximately 6-9 months or earlier
StemX Approach
We want to help you heal from the inside out.
Our care team at StemX undertakes an integrated assessment of your condition and overall health to help you recover as soon as possible so that you can live without being dependent on basic physical support or medication. ur trained team of clinicians and experienced doctors come with years of administering degenerative shoulder joint disease treatments and:
- A strong commitment to ensure holistic wellbeing
- Expertise in ultrasound and MRI imaging to place injections at the precise area of injury
- Insight into lifestyle and health contributors to joint injuries
- 100% transparent interactions to help you understand the benefits and recovery paths of regenerative medicine
- Personalised treatments and follow-ups to encourage healing and restore normalcy in life
Frequently Asked Questions
Your shoulder will feel stiff and painful when you attempt to make an over-the-head movement, like raising your hand. In some cases, there will be swelling and redness in the affected area.
In general, rest and anti-inflammatory medication can get rid of bursitis in 7-14 days. However, if symptoms persist, you will need medical attention. Timely care is necessary so that it doesn't develop into complicated shoulder conditions.
Untreated bursitis can lead to a build-up of calcium deposits (calcific bursitis) in the soft tissues, resulting in permanent loss of movement to the area.
Since joint pain is a symptom for both arthritis and bursitis, it can be mistaken for joint arthritis.
Using heat for relief is not recommended for bursitis as it can make the inflammation worse..
If not treated properly, a recurrence of the inflammation is common with repeated stress to the affected area.
The success of the treatments is dependent on the damage present in the joint and the age of the patient. A complete physical examination is needed to best determine the outcome for each patient.
No, the injection is no more painful than having your blood drawn.
Most regenerative treatments may be covered by Medicare. The insurance section on our website will have the details you are looking for.