'shoulder tendonitis'

Many patients seek medical attention for shoulder pain, and a common diagnosis given is 'shoulder bursitis,' or 'shoulder tendonitis.' The doctor will then often state that identifying which of these diagnosis is the true cause of pain is not important because the treatment is the same.
This is true. Shoulder bursitis and rotator cuff tendonitis are all ways of saying there is inflammation of a particular area within the shoulder joint that is causing a common set of symptoms. The best terminology for these symptoms is 'impingement syndrome.' Impingement syndrome occurs when there is inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons and the bursa that surrounds these tendons.