A Case of Bursitis

I hurt my shoulder recently. I don’t recall doing anything specific that would have hurt it, but it was hurting nonetheless. I tried self-medicating with Aleve and a heating pad and such, but it went from “well, that’s annoying” to “it hurts to move” over the course of several days.

I also, as one does these days, consulted the internet, which of course, said I could have anything from a torn rotator cuff to a strained tendon to arthritis.

Eventually, it got too painful to even operate my computer mouse (which is like 70% of my job… oh and “mouse shoulder” is another suggestion the world wide web came up with, like “tennis elbow” but for non-athletes, I guess). So I finally relented and went to the doctor, which I hate doing because they always find something wrong with you.

Anyway, after a brief consultation and some poking and prodding, the nurse practitioner (I guess “mouse shoulder” doesn’t warrant an M.D.’s input when there’s a room full of sick people) came up with a diagnosis of “bursitis” in my shoulder.

“Sounds like an old person’s disease,” my daughter later told me, and I, of course, told her to “shut up.”

But it’s apparently the inflammation of the bursae, a fluid filled pad that cushions the joints and the bursae may become inflamed from frequent repetitive motions (like “mouse shoulder,” I suppose).

Anyway, I got a round of steroids and a bottle of antiinflammatory pills and was on my way. It’s been a couple of days and I’m starting to feel better, but I’ve got to say, it really might be an “old person’s disease,” because I’m feeling pretty old.

I hope it doesn’t affect my badminton game.