Bursitis

What Is It?

A bursa is a membrane near a joint that serves like a cushion between bone and the muscle. The bursa makes the joint elastic and reduces friction caused by movement.

Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. It is a frequent condition which often happens when a joint is overused, such as painting a wall or if throwing a baseball. Rarely, bursitis may be caused by an infection. Bursitis is more common in those that are elderly overweight or diabetic, although it also develops without a transparent reason in younger, more healthier people.

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

• Pain around joints that are such as knee, hip, shoulder and the elbow, particularly if pressure is applied to the place or using use

• Redness, warmth and swelling These are less common and might indicate the area is not infected.

Diagnosis

Your health care provider will examine you and press on the painful area to determine whether the pain is located over a bursa after reviewing your symptoms and activities. On average, your physician will be able to move the joint but when you decide to try to proceed to the joint yourself, you might well not be able to go it far because of pain. Your physician may order X-rays to check for other conditions. The X-rays will be normal, although a small calcium deposit may be present, if you have bursitis. If your physician suspects that an infection is causing your bursitis, then she or he could recommend you have a test in which an example of the fluid is eliminated from the bursa for analysis. This is just a little procedure.

Expected Duration

Bursitis usually lasts for weeks or days, but it may last even years or months in the event the cause, such as overuse, just isn`t identified or changed.

Prevention

The best method to prevent the type of bursitis is in order to avoid repetitive motion of a joint, particularly if you are overweight. Losing weight can lessen the possibility of developing bursitis on your legs. If stress on a bursa cannot be avoidedand protective gear could help prevent bursitis. By way of example, carpet layers that spend some time kneeling might want knee gear that is protective.

Procedure

Within days or sometimes weeks, if you break the joint and change your activities, symptoms should go away. Meanwhile, you might want to take a anti inflammatory drug such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others) to ease discomfort and lessen the inflammation. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and physical therapy may also be effective. When bursitis is caused by an illness, then you might need drainage of treatment and the bursa with an antibiotic. When the pain does not rise in a short period or is intense, your physician will inject a drug right. But, repeated steroid shots over a brief time may be detrimental and shots are avoided when disease occurs.

When bursitis occurs repeatedly in the same joint, the bursa may be removed surgically, although this is rare. Surgery also may be needed in the event that you`ve got an infection when you choose antibiotics in the bursa that does not clear up.

When To Call a Pro

When you have pain or swelling in or near a joint, speak to your healthcare professional.

Prognosis

The prognosis for people with bursitis is great. The condition usually lasts a short time and improves rapidly with treatment. A small number of people with bursitis is going to probably be bothered for a very prolonged period. Yet, in those instances, bursitis leads to disability or lasting deterioration in role.

External sources

American College of Rheumatology1800 Century PlaceSuite 250Atlanta, GA 30345-4300Phone: 404-633-3777 http://www.rheumatology.org/

Arthritis FoundationP.O. Box 7669 Atlanta, GA 30357-0669 Phone: 404-872-7100 Toll-Free: 1-800-283-7800 http://www.arthritis.org/

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)6300 North River RoadRosemont, IL 60018-4262Phone: 847-823-7186 Toll-Free: 1-800-346-2267 http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/

Further info

Always consult with your healthcare provider to make sure the information applies to your circumstances.