Elbows (olecranon bursitis — sometimes called 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).
Bursitis is an inflammation or irritation of the bursae (plural of "bursa"). The bursae are fluid-filled sacs around joints and tendons, which decrease friction from movement and provide a cushion between bones, tendons, muscles, and skin.
Common types of bursitis include prepatellar, olecranon, trochanteric, and retrocalcaneal. Most patients respond to nonsurgical management, including ice, activity modification, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Disabling joint pain. Sudden inability to move a joint. Excessive swelling, redness, bruising or a rash in the affected area. Sharp or shooting pain, especially when you exercise or exert yourself.
Too much pressure on the joint without moving.
Placing a significant weight on the bursae without moving such as standing, can cause the sacs to compress and lead to inflammation. The bursae are meant to cushion the joints during movement and not continually support body weight.
Usually, rest is all you'll need to treat bursitis. Avoid the activity or positions that irritated your bursa. Taking a break from activities that put pressure on 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 physical activities.
If you have chronic bursitis, try to minimize flare-ups by stretching each day to increase range of motion. And avoid activities that you know will result in pain. Repetitive-motion activities are especially bad for bursitis. If you do have a flare up, remember that resting your hip is important.
The most common causes of bursitis are injury or overuse, but it can also be caused by infection. Pain, swelling, and tenderness near a joint are the most common signs of bursitis. Bursitis can be treated with rest and medicines to help with the inflammation.
Apply dry or moist heat, such as a heating pad or taking a warm bath. Take an over-the-counter medication, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve, others), to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Some are available in a form you apply to the skin.
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.
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.
Since prepatellar bursitis is quite superficial, topical NSAIDs such as diclofenac topical gel (Voltaren Gel) can be very effective, with minimal systemic side effects.
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.
Septic bursitis means a bursa is infected, and antibiotics can prevent the infection from spreading into the bloodstream, a condition that can be life-threatening.
Resting the affected area and using bandages and anti-inflammatory medications usually helps to make the inflammation go away. Antibiotics are used if bacteria are involved. If the symptoms don't improve, surgery to remove the inflamed bursa is considered.
Walking, running, cycling, and many cardio exercise machines, as well as, deep squats, and lateral hip exercises can all aggravate hip bursitis pain because of the compression caused. For similar reasons sitting with crossed legs, standing with a dropped hip, or lying on your side can also be very painful.
Bursitis is typically caused by repetitive, minor impact on the area, or from a sudden, more serious injury. Age can also play a role as tendons become less elastic and more susceptible to tearing.
Most people with hip bursitis notice that the total lack of movement and repetitive movements for too long worsen pain and disability.
Is Walking Good for Bursitis? Exercise is often prescribed to improve joint pain, so walking could be a vital part of managing your bursitis symptoms.
The primary causes of bursa sacs inflammation are sudden trauma, long-term joint stress, and infections.
Natural remedies for bursitis. Resting, using ice packs and taking over-the-counter painkillers are all recommended by conventional health professionals ways of treating mild cases of bursitis.
Massage can feel good, and myofascial release therapy (a type of massage) may decrease the pain of a sore joint. However, do not massage the affected area if your bursitis is caused by an infection; you may inadvertently promote the spread of the infectious agent throughout the body.
Massage therapy has been found to be an effective treatment for both acute and chronic cases of shoulder bursitis. In addition to providing relief from pain, massage can also reduce inflammation, increase the range of motion, and improve overall function in the affected area.
When properly treated, bursitis doesn't result in permanent joint damage or disability. Many soft tissue conditions are caused by muscle overuse, so the first treatment may include resting the painful area or avoiding a particular activity for a while.