We Know: All About Bursitis

What is Bursitis?

Bursitis is a type of arthritis in which the bursae, liquid-filled cartilage cushions for joints, are inflamed or damaged. There are 160 bursae in the human body, but the major ones are located at the hips, shoulders, knees, and elbows.

What are the Causes of Bursitis?

Bursitis is caused by stress to any of the bursae-carrying joints. It could be a sports injury or, for those who are less athletic, it could be caused by something as simple as picking up a child or a heavy bag of groceries. You can also get bursitis if you have an infection in the joint adjacent to the bursae -- for instance, if you fell and scraped your elbow, any infection to the scrape could spread to the bursae. Other things that can cause bursitis are other types of arthritis, such as gout.

What are the Symptoms of Bursitis?

Bursitis is marked by a burning pain and swelling in the affected joint. The joint is tender and hurts when moved. Because other types of joint injuries have similar symptoms, you should never self-diagnose bursitis. Fortunately, if bursitis is misdiagnosed, treatments for other joint injuries are mostly the same.

How is Bursitis usually Treated?

Bursitis, like most forms of arthritis, is treated primarily with:

Rest
Anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, Motrin, or naprosin
Cold compresses

Some bursitis is caused by an infection, and to treat this bursitis it's necessary to treat the infection. Sometimes you can also treat bursitis by draining some of the fluid in the bursae, or with cortisone injections directly to the site of inflammation.

If there's any chance that your bursitis is caused by an infection, you should seek medical assistance immediately. An infection here can permanently damage your joint and potentially spread to other parts of your body if not treated.