Bursitis

Medicine and Health

Bursitis is a painfulswelling, usually around your joints.It’s common in the shoulders, elbows, knees and feet. You’re more likely to get it if you have a job or hobby that puts a lot of stress on your joints.

       What is bursitis?

Bursitis is painfulswelling in a small, fluid-filled sac called a bursa. Bursae

(the plural of bursa) cushionspaces around bones and other tissue. They’re like bubble wrap that protects structures throughout your body. 

Bursitis happens when a bursa becomes irritated and swells. The most common causes of bursitis are overuse and putting too much pressure on a bursa. The pain from an inflamed bursa may develop suddenly or build up over time.

Types of bursitis

There are more than 150 bursae in your body. Bursitis can affect any of them. You’re most likely to develop bursitisin joints you use for repetitive motions or in places you put a lot of pressure, including your:

• Shoulders (subacromial bursitis).
• Elbows (olecranon bursitis — sometimescalled miner’s elbow or barfly’s elbow).
• Knees (prepatellar bursitis — housemaid’s knee).
• Feet (especially near your heel, big toe or the ball of your foot).
• Hips (iliopectineal or trochanteric bursitis).
•  Butt (ischial bursitisor weaver’s bottom).

 

Healthcare providers might refer to different types of bursitis with a specific name, but they’re all the same issue — swelling in and around a bursa.

Symptoms and Causes

What are bursitis symptoms?

The most common symptoms of bursitis are:

 

• Pain, especially when you’re movingthe affected part of your body.
• A limited range of motion (how far you can move a body part).
•  Swelling.

If you have an infection that’s causing bursitis, you might have other symptoms, including:

• Discoloration or rednesson your skin.
• A feeling of warmth or heat.

boxes at work — commonly cause bursitis. Spending time in positions that put pressure on a specific part of your body (such as kneeling) can cause it, too.

It’s less common,but injuries and infections can cause bursitis, as well. Activities that can lead to bursitis include:

• Carpentry.
• Gardening and raking.
• Painting.
• Poor posture or a poorly positioned joint or bone (due to different leg lengths, bone spurs, or arthritis in a joint).
• Scrubbing.
• Shoveling.
• Playing sports like tennis, golf and baseball.
•   Playing an instrument.

 

Bursitis risk factors

Anyone can experience bursitis. People who are more likely to develop it include:

• Athletes.

including:

• Arthritis (especially inflammatory arthritis like gout andpsoriatic arthritis).
• Diabetes
• Thyroid disease.

What tests are done to diagnosebursitis?

Your provider might use some tests to diagnose bursitis, including:

 

• X-rays torule out other conditions.
• Ultrasound or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to detect swollen bursae.
• A blood test to look for infection.
•     An aspiration (taking a sample of fluid) of your affected bursa if they think it’s infected.

Management and Treatment

What is the best way to treat bursitis?

Usually, rest is all you’ll need to treat bursitis.Avoid the activityor positions that irritated your bursa.

Taking a break from activities that put pressureon that part of your body will give it time to heal and prevent further injury. Ask your provider how

long you’ll need to rest and avoid physicalactivities.

Your provider mightsuggest at-home treatments to reduce the pain and swelling while your bursa heals:

without talking to your provider.

• Ice the area. Apply a cold compress or ice packs wrapped in a thin towel to the area for 15 minutes at a time, a few times a day.
• Apply heat (like a heating pad or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel). Your provider might suggest alternating ice and heat.
•  Wear a splint,sling or brace to keep the injuredarea supported.

Most cases of bursitis heal on theirown with rest and at-hometreatments. But your provider may recommend additional treatment options, including:

• Antibiotics if you have an infection.
• Physical therapy to increaseyour range of motion.
• Occupational therapy to learnhow to move in ways that don’tstress the area.
• Corticosteroid injections to decrease inflammation and pain.
• Surgery to resect(remove) your bursa if other treatments aren’t
• effective and you’restill experiencing symptoms for six months or longer.

Prevention

How can I prevent bursitis?

The best way to prevent bursitis is to avoid over using your body. To prevent bursitis:

• Learn the proper posture or technique for sports or work activities.
• Ease into new exercises or activities to avoid injury.
• Avoid sitting or kneeling too long. These positions put a lot of pressure on your joints.
• Use cushions and pads when you kneelor lean on your elbows.
• Take breaks if you’redoing a repetitive task.