Steroid Injection with Exercise for Subacromial Bursitis

Overview

Shoulder issues in middle-aged and elderly folks often stem from muscle and tendon degeneration, causing pain and limited movement. Current treatments like corticosteroid injections provide short-term relief for synovial bursitis, prompting repetitive injections. Combining these injections with resistance exercises, especially elastic bands, might extend relief. A study aims to test this by giving injections and a 12-week elastic band exercise program to one group, compared to injections alone in another. Assessments at 4, and 12 weeks post-injection will measure pain, motion, and functionality. Successful results could redefine treatment, reducing repetitive injections and enhancing life quality for those with shoulder problems.

Shoulder activities are common among middle-aged and elderly individuals, often leading to degeneration of shoulder muscles and tendons. This degeneration causes instability, resulting in shoulder impingement syndrome and subsequent inflammation of the synovial bursa. Acute synovial bursitis leads to severe shoulder pain, limited movement, affecting daily life and work. Initial treatments like physical therapy and oral medication often fall short, necessitating corticosteroid injections into the subacromial bursa guided by ultrasound for effective relief. However, these injections often provide only short-term relief, leading to a need for repeated injections, causing concerns about side effects. Previous research indicates that resistance-based exercises improve muscle strength and reduce shoulder tissue damage. Among these exercises, elastic band workouts are deemed safest for the elderly. Despite advancements in ultrasound-guided injections for subacromial bursitis, there's a scarcity of studies combining corticosteroid injections with progressive shoulder resistance exercises to prolong therapeutic effects. This study aims to explore if progressive resistance exercises enhance and sustain the clinical benefits of ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injections in subacromial bursitis. It's a randomized double-single-blind study wherein the experimental group receives ultrasound-guided injections of 40mg triamcinolone acetonide and 2cc lidocaine into the inflamed bursa and undergoes a 12-week course of elastic band progressive resistance exercises. The control group only receives ultrasound-guided injections. Evaluators remain unaware of the group assignments. Parameters like VAS , ROM, and SPADI are assessed at 4, and 12 weeks post-injection. This research seeks to ascertain whether combining corticosteroid injections with progressive resistance exercises prolongs the efficacy of treatment for subacromial bursitis. If successful, it could offer a novel approach to managing this condition, potentially reducing the need for repeated injections and improving the overall quality of life for middle-aged and elderly individuals affected by shoulder issues.