Bursitis

What is bursitis?

Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that surrounds joints or tendons. A bursa reduces friction by cushioning muscles or tendons and bones that move back and forth across each other. The elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, and other joints contain a cushioning bursa.

How does it occur?

Irritation, injury, or pressure to a bursa can cause inflammation, resulting in swelling and pain.

Causes of bursitis include:

• injury of a joint from sports activities, such as baseball, tennis, racquetball, and running
• frequent irritation or friction on a body part from other activities, including everyday household jobs such as yardwork, shoveling dirt or snow, and house painting
• kneeling on a hard or raised surface for long periods, causing prepatellar bursitis (also called housemaid's knee)
• repeated pressure on the point of the elbow--for example, by leaning on a table or desk for a long time--causing olecranon bursitis (nicknamed student's elbow).

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of bursitis usually include swelling, redness, and pain, usually near a joint.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will examine you. He or she may use a needle and syringe to get a sample of fluid from the bursa to check for infection and look for other causes of the bursitis. You may have X-rays and blood tests.

How is it treated?

To relieve symptoms of bursitis:

• Rest the joint that is hurting.
• Do not put any pressure on the sore and swollen area until the swelling subsides.
• Put an ice pack on the area for 20 to 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a day to help relieve pain.
• Wear a compression wrap around the joint (such as the elbow or knee).
• Take a nonprescription anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Your provider may prescribe a different anti-inflammatory medicine.
• Do exercises to keep your range of motion and keep the joint from getting stiff.
• Gradually build strength in the area with gentle exercise.
• You may need to wait several days to several weeks before returning to the sport or task that originally caused the problem.

If you keep having symptoms:

• Your provider may remove fluid from the swollen area with a needle and syringe. Your provider may then wrap the injured site or splint it to keep fluid from refilling the area and to prevent you from moving it.
• Your provider may inject the inflamed area with a steroid drug, usually cortisone, and a local anesthetic to reduce swelling, redness, and pain.
• Your provider may recommend surgery to take out the bursa if the bursitis keeps being troublesome despite treatment.

How long will the effects last?

With treatment, the pain and swelling of bursitis usually clear up in 1 or 2 weeks.

When should I call my healthcare provider?

When you have bursitis, the bursa is inflamed but not infected. If the swelling spreads despite treatment or if you develop fever, chills, or increased warmth, you should see a healthcare provider right away. These are signs of possible infection.

How can I help prevent bursitis?

In some cases it may help to avoid doing whatever seems to have caused the bursitis. Try not to overuse or reinjure the affected area. Avoid pressure and injury to the joint by wearing a protective pad.