The key difference between arthritis and bursitis is the anatomical structures that they affect. Arthritis is a chronic condition that irreparably damages bone, cartilage, and joints, whereas bursitis is a temporary condition that involves the painful swelling of bursae for a time. Pain is worst in the morning.
There are a few basic ways to know if you have hip bursitis or arthritis. If the pain you feel is sharp and severe before spreading out into an ache in the affected area, you may have hip bursitis. On the other hand, if your pain develops slower and is more painful in the morning, it may be hip arthritis.
Bursitis most commonly occurs in the shoulder, hip, or elbow—joints that are frequently involved in repetitive motions. The most common symptoms of bursitis include joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and tenderness; because these symptoms are also common to arthritis, bursitis is often mistaken for arthritis.
Arthritis and bursitis both cause painful inflammation that can be perceived as coming from a joint, like your hip or shoulder. The key difference comes down to the specific structure within your body that has become inflamed, and you need to sort it out to get the right treatment.
The most common causes of bursitis are injury or overuse. Infection may also cause it. Bursitis is also associated with other problems. These include arthritis, gout, tendonitis, diabetes, and thyroid disease.
Chronic pain: Untreated bursitis can lead to a permanent thickening or enlargement of the bursa, which can cause chronic inflammation and pain. Muscle atrophy: Long term reduced use of joint can lead to decreased physical activity and loss of surrounding muscle.
Activities or positions that put pressure on the hip bursa, such as lying down, sitting in one position for a long time, or walking distances can irritate the bursa and cause more pain. It is also important to learn the hip bursitis exercises to avoid making the condition worse.
X-ray images can't positively establish the diagnosis of bursitis, but they can help to exclude other causes of your discomfort. Ultrasound or MRI might be used if your bursitis can't easily be diagnosed by a physical exam alone.
Doctors may recommend over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, to reduce inflammation in the bursa and tendon and relieve pain. These medications are typically recommended for a few weeks while the body heals.
Bursitis is when a joint becomes painful and swollen. It can usually be treated at home and should go away in a few weeks.
Symptoms of bursitis of the hip
Symptoms include joint pain and tenderness. You may also see swelling and feel warmth around the affected area. The pain is often sharp in the first few days. It may be dull and achy later.
Foods that can trigger inflammation may make your pain worse so these are ones to avoid if you can. This includes processed foods (ready meals, sliced meat), caffeine, fizzy juice, sugars (cakes, biscuits etc.), and alcohol.
Exercise is often prescribed to improve joint pain, so walking could be a vital part of managing your bursitis symptoms.
Consult your doctor if you have: Disabling joint pain. Sudden inability to move a joint. Excessive swelling, redness, bruising or a rash in the affected area.
Bursa Drainage and Removal
If the bursa is severely damaged, the surgeon may remove the entire inflamed sac. The incision is closed with stitches. Removal of a bursa does not affect the way the muscles or joints work and can permanently relieve the pain and swelling caused by bursitis.
In each of these cases, the cause of the bursitis is usually prolonged pressure over the affected bursa. While bursitis affects people of all ages, the elderly may be at greater risk given that many elderly people are afflicted by osteoarthritis and other chronic diseases which can increase the risk of bursitis.
Recurrent stress injuries cause chronic bursitis. In most cases, the level of pain and swelling experienced is lower than the acute type, but the condition is long-lasting. If you ignore the stress and leave it untreated, the risk of complications will increase.
There are several ways to get bursitis, but the condition is usually caused by too much stress on the bursa.
Bursa injections contain steroids that soothe bursitis inflammation and joint pain. The steroid injection eases symptoms of hip bursitis, shoulder bursitis and other types of bursitis. If injections don't relieve symptoms, you may need surgery.
MRI Scans. MRI is an advanced imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed two- and three-dimensional pictures of soft tissue inside the body. MRI scans provide clear images of inflammation in the affected bursae and tendons and may be used to confirm the extent of an injury.
Since prepatellar bursitis is quite superficial, topical NSAIDs such as diclofenac topical gel (Voltaren Gel) can be very effective, with minimal systemic side effects.