Bursitis

Do you have bursitis?  

Bursitis is when a bursa become inflamed, and it can be very painful and frustrating! 

Bursitis is a common finding on scans, and the most common areas are shoulder (sub acromial or sub deltoid bursitis), knee (prepatellar bursitis), hip (trochanteric bursitis), and heel (calcaneal bursitis). 

What is bursitis? 

  • A bursa is a little sack of fluid that cushions a tendon as it runs over a bony ridge.

  • They get irritated if the amount of rubbing between the tendon and the bone increases.

  • An irritated bursa becomes inflamed, swollen, and very painful! Not fun! 

What you can do: 

  • Identify the cause 

  • Avoid aggravating positions and activities

  • Speak with your doctor about anti-inflammatories 

Thankfully, bursitis usually resolves without any invasive treatments. 

Is there a tendon issue? 

  • In a lot of cases, the bigger issue is with the tendon, rather than the bursa.  

  • While a bursa needs rest to take the pressure off, a tendon does not!

  • Tendons require a very specific approach to reduce pain and build strength. 

Check out our web page on tendinopathy here.