What is Bursitis?

Bursitis is shoulder impingement, one of the most common problems seen with the shoulder, and a frequent source of pain. It is a result of a conflict involving the rotator cuff tendons, the bursa and the bones. Bursitis may also be called rotator cuff tendonitis.

There is a lubricating sac called a bursa between the rotator cuff and the bone on top of your shoulder (acromion). The bursa allows the rotator cuff tendons to glide freely when you move your arm. When the rotator cuff tendons are injured or damaged, this bursa can also become inflamed and painful.

When you raise your arm to shoulder height, the space between the acromion bone and the rotator cuff tendons narrows. The acromion can rub against (or "impinge" on) the tendons and the bursa. This causes irritation and pain. Pain can be the result of the rotator cuff tendons being irritated or damaged, causing tendonitis. It can also result from the bursa becoming inflamed and swollen (bursitis).