Inflamed bursas, or fluid-filled cushions, make it too painful for you to move your joints. Bursas may become irritated from loose tendons, repeated compression, unusual bone growth, tight muscles and excessive exercise. Performing range of motion exercises for the affected bursa will help you maintain the flexibility of surrounding muscle, increasing your range of motion around the injured joint.
Considerations
Range-of-motion exercise for bursas should only be done after the pain and inflammation of the injury have been significantly reduced. If stretching is begun too early, you will exacerbate the bursitis and risk injuring the healthy muscles, ligaments, bones, nerves and vessels around the area. Applying a heat pack over the injury increases circulation and tissue temperature, making it easier to do range-of-motion exercises.
Anterior and Posterior Hip Stretches
There are three bursas surrounding your hip joints. Stretching your glutes, hamstrings, abductors and hip flexors will enhance the range of motion around your hip bursas. Start by kneeling on the floor with a cushion underneath your knees for comfort. Balance on your right knee and the toes of your right foot as you straighten your left leg in front of you; your left heel should be on the floor. Lean forward to stretch the tissues around the bursa under your left glute, focusing the stretch on the back of your left hip. Then, place your left leg in a lunge position so the bottom of your left foot is flat on the floor. Keep your right leg in place and lean forward, pressing your body weight into the front of your right hip, stretching the bursa under your right hip flexor muscles. Switch sides and repeat the stretch. Perform three to four repetitions, holding the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.
Lateral Hip Stretch
The third bursa is on the lateral aspect, or the side, of each hip joint. This area is commonly injured when you increase the duration, frequency and intensity of your running or walking program. Furthermore, running on a slanted surface makes you more susceptible to an inflamed trochanteric bursa. Perform this bursa stretch by sitting with your buttocks flat on the floor and your left leg straight in front of you; cross your right ankle over your left thigh. Push your right thigh closer to the ground, increasing the range of motion around the bursa on the lateral aspect of your hip. Do three to four repetitions of this stretch, holding for 15 to 30 seconds. Stretch both sides of your body.
Shoulder Stretch
The bursa in your shoulder joint lies between a bony protrusion of your shoulder and the joint capsule. It covers the tendons of your rotator cuff and bicep muscles. An injury to this area of your shoulder is likely to inflame your subdeltoid bursa. To increase the range of motion of this bursa and your shoulder, draw your right arm across your chest. Use your left arm to pull your right arm closer into your chest, stretching your subdeltoid bursa. Repeat with your left arm. Perform three to four repetitions, holding the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.
References
- "Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Sandra Shultz, Ph.D., Peggy Houglum, Ph.D., and David Perrin, Ph.D.; 2005
- "Therapeutic Exercise for Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Peggy Houglum, Ph.D.; 2005
Member Comments