“Is massage therapy good for shoulder bursitis?”
I am a 43 year old male and I have shoulder bursitis. Is massage therapy good for shoulder bursitis?
5 Answers
Massage therapy is one of the modalities that can be used to treat shoulder bursitis however for most patients, by itself, it will not be enough to make it resolve.
Bursitis can actually get irritated by massage therapy, but it can help other painful and often related problems in the shoulder. Most important points are to have the correct diagnosis and a good massage therapist. The latter will be able to avoid irritating an inflamed bursae while helping treat the underlying problems that can often lead to the bursitis.
Nothing beats range of motion and gentle stretching exercise (found here: https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?&action=browse_results&category1=Shoulder&category2=Injury/Condition). But massage if done gently can help a bit.
David T. Neuman, MD
David T. Neuman, MD
This may be a little controversial among physicians. In my opinion anything that relaxes tight musculature and surrounding tissue (bursa, nerve, fascia) will benefit how the shoulder works and should aid bursitis, tendonitis and Rotator cuff tears. Physiotherapy is extremely helpful in these conditions as it assists in the balancing of the muscles around the shoulder leading to better shoulder function and less risk of injury. So in short yes a well performed massage can be helpful. Good luck.
The suffix "itis" means inflammation. What you need is the medically documented "Manual Lymphatic Drainage", CPT 97140. It is known to reduce inflammation and swelling.
