Subacromial Bursa Injection (Shoulder Injection)

A bursa is a thin fluid filled sac wedged between bone and muscles or soft tissue.  Its  purpose is to reduce friction between the bone and the muscle/tendon that moves  over it.  Bursae can become inflamed for a variety of reasons such as overuse of a  joint, muscle tears or trauma.  The subacromial bursa lies within the shoulder and  will often become inflamed leading to significant pain and loss of function of the  joint.   

Injecting a combination of anesthetic and steroid medication can reduce  inflammation in the subacromial bursa and provide effective long lasting pain relief.  

The goal of these procedures is to control your pain so that you can have improved  mobility/ability to exercise.  This is extremely important for the long-term  management of your pain and quality of life.   

It is important to understand that optimal management of chronic pain involves  multiple modalities, including: 

• Exercise and lifestyle (sleep, stress management) 
• Weight Loss (Canada’s Food Guide)
• Psychological / Mental wellness (counseling, mindfulness, support groups) • Physical Therapy (Physio, massage etc.) 
• Medications (oral and topical)
• Spirituality (meditation, connecting to nature, religion)