Nov 07, 2022

Learn about Bursitis: The Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

What is Bursitis?

Introduction

Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa, small, fluid-filled sacs that helps your joints slide easily over one another. The most common form of bursitis is caused by repetitive friction and pressure on your shoulder joint. It can also happen when you have an injury or infection in this area that causes this irritation.

The most common locations for this type of bursitis are the shoulder and elbow, but it can affect any joint in the body. Bursitis in the hip, for example, can be caused by running or sitting for long periods of time.

What is bursitis?

The bursae are small, fluid-filled sacs that act as cushions between bones, tendons and muscles. They help to reduce friction and prevent injuries. When a bursa becomes inflamed or irritated, it can be extremely painful to move the affected joint.

This condition is called Bursitis (inflammation in a Bursa). It can happen if you have an injury or overuse your joint repeatedly over time (for example: if you play soccer, or run regularly). Bursitis therefore describes the painful inflammation of the bursa (fluid-filled sacs) that reduce friction between bones, tendons, and muscles. Repeated trauma or overuse are often reasons Bursitis can develop.

The pain caused by this condition can be temporary and goes away after resting for (at least)a few days. However, in some more severe cases, surgery is required to remove the inflamed tissue in order for the injury site to recover properly.

The symptoms of bursitis include pain that worsens with movement and usually feels better with rest; swelling around the affected joint; redness; limited range of motion; and sometimes tenderness when pressure is applied to the joint.

What causes bursitis?

The causes of bursitis include:

Injury to the affected area
Infection in the blood or joint
Overuse or repetitive stress. For example, if you sit at a desk all day and do not move your arms enough, you can develop symptoms of bursitis in your shoulders or elbows.

What are the symptoms of bursitis?

You may experience some or all of the following symptoms:

Pain and swelling around the joint
Difficulty moving the joint
Feeling of warmth, redness, and tenderness when pressing on the joint (particularly at night)
Pain that gets worse with activity or at night.

How is bursitis diagnosed?

After you have consulted with your doctor ( which we always recommend here at MendMeShop), they will likely begin with a physical exam. This may include:

Observing your range of motion in the affected area.
Examining the bursa and surrounding tissue to check for inflammation, tenderness, swelling or fluid accumulation.
Moving your joint through its full range of motion and at different angles to see if this causes any pain.

How is bursitis treated?

Rest: Rest is an important part of treatment, as it helps to reduce pain and swelling.
Ice or Cold: Applying ice to the affected area may help reduce inflammation and pain. Apply cold or ice for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.
Physical therapy: Many people who suffer from bursitis will benefit from physical therapy exercises that help strengthen muscles around the affected joint and improve mobility and flexibility in that area of the body. Your doctor may recommend this type of treatment if you have persistent symptoms despite other treatments for bursitis (such as rest or ice).
Surgery: Surgery is rarely necessary for treating bursitis because there are many effective noninvasive options available; however, surgery may be needed if bursitis has caused severe damage to the surrounding tissues or joints due to long-term inflammation or excessive activity level

When should I call my healthcare provider about bursitis?

You have pain that doesn't go away after a few days.
The pain gets worse.
You notice swelling or redness around the joint.
Your joint is hot to the touch and feels warm to others as well, or you have a fever above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

There are three main types of bursitis:

Acute bursitis: this is when the fluid-filled sac that cushions your body's joints becomes inflamed, causing pain and stiffness in the area. It can be caused by a fall or sports injury, or even just by overusing a joint ( for example your elbow or knee). Acute bursitis usually goes away after a few weeks, but sometimes it sticks around for months... especially if you don't give it the rest it needs. This type of bursitis often occurs suddenly, especially when there is an injury to the joint or overuse of the joint. Acute bursitis can often be caused by repetitive movements such as throwing a ball or playing tennis, baseball or racquetball, or by intense weightlifting.

Subacute bursitis: this is similar to acute bursitis, but it lasts longer than two weeks and less than six months. It also causes pain and stiffness in the area where the inflamed bursa is located. You might feel better with rest and over-the-counter pain medications. Any pain that lasts longer than a few days, should be an indicator that you need to see your doctor about other treatments that might help you feel better faster! This type of bursitis can develops over time as a result of inflammation from repeated stress on the joint. Subacute bursitis may be caused by overuse of the joint or from injury that happened months earlier but took a long time to heal properly.

Chronic bursitis: this type of bursitis lasts longer than six months and can become permanent if left without any treatment. As always, see your Doctor with any concerns about pain or inflammation in your body.

Types of Bursitis according to location in the body

Olecranon Bursitis: This type of Bursitis occurs at the point where your elbow meets your forearm, and it results from repeated pressure on the elbow during activities like lifting heavy objects or playing sports like Tennis

Trochanteric Bursitis: This type of Bursitis occurs near the hip joint and is usually caused when you sit for long periods of time without moving. There are two major bursa in the hip socket. The Bursa found on the bony point of the hip (greater trochanter) can become inflamed causing Trochanteric Bursitis

Iliofemoral bursitis: This is Bursitis/ inflammation around the inside of your hip socket associated with the Iliopsoas Bursa and causes pain in the groin area.

Prepatellar Bursitis: This type of Bursitis affects the knees and results from repetitive motions like squatting or kneeling

Patellar bursitis - This is Bursitis/ inflammation behind the kneecap

Subacromial Impingement Syndrome: This type of Bursitis affects shoulders and causes pain around the shoulder joint when it's moved in certain ways

Retrocalcaneal bursitis: This is the type of Bursitis related inflammation that is found behind your heel bone

The best way to prevent bursitis is by avoiding activities that put pressure on your joints.

Ensure you have the right equipment, like wearing knee pads while gardening or taking frequent breaks when shoveling. When you're engaging in an activity that requires repetitive motions, try using a TSHELLZ WRAP beforehand or ice pack afterwards to relieve some of the pain and swelling. It's also helpful to see a doctor as soon as you notice symptoms starting so you can get relief sooner rather than later!

The TSHELLZ wrap is a tool that can be used to support the treatment of Bursitis. It's a soft, flexible Neoprene wrap that can be worn on the affected area to help treat pain and inflammation. It's important to note that heat can help support the healing process. The TSHELLZ wrap uses this principle around the affected area, which helps reduce inflammation and pain.

The TShellz Wrap is one of the first products of its kind that can help you treat bursitis. It can help reduce inflammation, soothe sore muscles and joints, and improve mobility.

When you use the TShellz Wrap , you'll be able to:

* help reduce inflammation and swelling in your body

* Soothe sore muscles and joints

* Improve mobility.

The best way to rest and recover from an injury like bursitis is to take it easy. You should avoid activities that make your pain worse, like running or lifting heavy objects.

If you have a doctor's note, you may be able ask your boss for some time off work or work from home if this is applicable.

It's important to keep moving as much as possible, but do so gently. Try some gentle stretching exercises and yoga, which can both help you relax and keep your joints limber.

You should also drink lots of water and eat nutritious foods that are low in fat (like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans). These will help you stay hydrated and nourished while healing. And don't forget about sleep! If you're having trouble sleeping because of your pain, try taking a warm bath before bedtime or using a Sleep pillow like MendMeShop’s Orthopedic Knee Pillow to support your body while you are lying down.

If you've been injured, you know how difficult it can be to rest and recover. There are some things you can do to make the process easier.

Here are some tips for resting after an injury:

Stay off your feet as much as possible. If you have to go somewhere, take a cab instead of walking. And if you have to walk somewhere, take the elevator instead of stairs.

Try not to lift anything heavier than ten pounds. If something needs to be moved around the house, find someone else who can help and don't feel guilty about it!

Don't do anything that might hurt or aggravate your injury (like running or jumping). That means no jogging on the treadmill and no jumping on the trampoline!

Get plenty of rest, and if possible, sleep in a room where there's no light coming in from outside windows so that your body doesn't think it's daytime when it isn't yet ready for bedtime (this could affect your circadian rhythm which we chat about in a previous blog post).

When you're recovering from an injury, it's important to take some time to rest.

Resting is so important because it allows your body to focus on healing, rather than working hard to get through your daily routine. In fact, resting can even help speed up the healing process!

But how do you rest? What should you do when you're not feeling well enough to work, yet still have a ton of stuff to do around the house? Here are some tips:

Take it easy. Take things slow and easy, even if that means taking more frequent breaks throughout the day or getting more sleep at night.

Get help with chores and errands. This can help take pressure off of your body so that it has more energy for healing!

Ask for help with childcare. If you have children, ask a friend or family member if they'd be willing to watch them for a few hours so you can rest without worrying about child supervision!

If your bursitis is affecting your quality of life, we know it's hard to rest and let the injury heal. Here's a quick list of some helpful tips for getting the most out of your recovery time :

Ice/ Cold
Compression
Elevation
Be gentle with the affected area. Don't overdo it on the first day of rest, and don't rush back into activity too quickly.
Keep moving! Even if you can't do much, try to move as much as possible while you're resting so that blood flow is increased and healing is enhanced.
Get enough sleep! Sleep is essential for healing, so make sure you're getting enough rest to help your body recover from your injury more quickly

✔️We know there can be a lot of information to take in when you're trying to figure out what's wrong with your body. That's why we've tried to make the above article as easy and understandable as possible so that anyone who reads it will come away with a better understanding of bursitis.

✔️In short, bursitis is an inflammation (swelling) in one or more bursae (small fluid-filled sacs) near joints and tendons.

✔️The pain caused by this condition may be very intense around the affected area but usually goes away within a few days without any special treatment required other than rest and ice packs applied directly onto affected areas!

✔️We hope all of our readers have found this post helpful!

References

We pride ourselves on being thoroughly researched before we post blog posts, articles or webpages. Here is a list of references used to create this content:

👉Ref 1: Bursitis NHS UK

👉Ref 2: Bursitis, Mayo Clinic

👉Ref 3: Bursitis, John Hopkins Medicine

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