Bursitis Might Not Be the Real Problem! Here’s What You Need to Know

Have You Been Told You Have Bursitis?

If you’ve been diagnosed with bursitis—especially in your hip or shoulder—you’re not alone. These are some of the most common areas patients experience bursitis-like pain. Many come to me after receiving steroid injections into the bursa, only to find that the pain keeps returning.

So what’s really going on?

What Is a Bursa, Anyway?

A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac that acts like a cushion between muscles, tendons, and bones. It helps reduce friction during movement. In the hip, for example, the bursa protects the gluteal tendons. In the shoulder, it helps buffer the rotator cuff from surrounding tissues.

When these bursae become irritated or inflamed, it can be painful—that’s bursitis. But in many cases, the bursa isn’t the root of the problem.

Bursitis Is Often a Symptom, Not the Source

While the bursa can absolutely become inflamed and painful, we need to ask: why did it become irritated in the first place?

Most often, there’s an underlying issue, such as:

• A gluteal tendon tear (hip)

• A rotator cuff tear (shoulder)

In these cases, the inflammation from the tendon injury irritates the nearby bursa, causing secondary bursitis. Treating only the bursa with steroid injections may provide temporary relief, but it won’t resolve the tendon damage that’s causing the inflammation in the first place.

A Smarter Approach to Treatment

At Protea Performance Center, our approach is to treat both the symptom and the source. That means we address:

• The tendon injury, using regenerative treatments like PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) to stimulate healing

• The bursa itself, to calm the inflammation

By treating both structures together, we aim to provide long-term relief, not just temporary pain suppression.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve had bursitis for a while—or if steroid injections haven’t brought lasting relief—it may be time to look deeper. The bursa might not be the real issue. Identifying and healing the underlying tendon damage is key to getting you back to pain-free movement.

Let’s Talk About Your Options

If this sounds like your experience, let’s talk. We offer free 15-minute discovery calls to help assess your case and see if regenerative medicine is the right path for you.

Reach out to us at Protea Performance Center. We’re here to help you heal—at the source.