Bursitis

What is Bursitis?

There are multiple bursa throughout the body that can become inflamed and lead to pain. A bursa is a fluid filled sac that lies between a boney structure and a muscle or tendon and serves as a cushion to prevent friction between the structures. A bursa can become inflamed and irritated from a number of conditions such as overuse, trauma, repetitive compression, impingement, muscle imbalance, inflexibility and other causes. Common areas where bursitis is experienced is in the shoulder, elbows, hips and knees. Individuals who are side sleepers or side for prolonged periods on relatively hard surfaces may experience hip and buttock pain from repetitive compression of the hip and pelvic bursa, and individuals who participate in running and throwing activities may deal with shoulder and knee bursitis, respectively.

What are the Symptoms of Bursitis?

The most common symptom of bursitis is an achy pain. Pain occurs around the joint area, but there can be pin point stabbing pain directly over the bursa as well. Swelling and stiffness may also accompany bursitis. The symptoms may be exacerbated by increased activity.

How is Bursitis treated?

With the appropriate treatment bursitis can be effectively healed. Bursitis is most effectively treated with physical therapy/modalities, topical ointments, anti-inflammatory medications and injections. Modifications may be required on bed and sitting surfaces to provide added cushion. Medications and Anti-inflammatory medications will provide pain relief and help facilitate the healing process. Prevention is also a very important and attempting to minimize overuse activities, balancing and stretching muscles to provide more flexibility, minimize hard sitting or sleeping surfaces will all help to decrease the tension and irritation of the bursa.

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