Bursitis
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What Is Bursitis?
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Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. A bursa (the plural form is bursae) is a tiny fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between bone and soft tissues of the body. There are 160 bursae in the body. The major bursae are located adjacent to the tendons near the large joints, such as the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. What Causes Bursitis?A bursa can become inflamed from injury, infection (rare in the shoulder), or due to an underlying rheumatic condition. Examples of bursitis include injury as subtle as lifting a bag of groceries into the car to inflame the shoulder bursa (shoulder bursitis), infection of the bursa in front of the knee from an abrasion or puncture wound (septic prepatellar bursitis), and inflammation of the elbow bursa from gout crystals (gouty olecranon bursitis). Sometimes tendonitis occurs associated with bursitis, especially in the shoulder. Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 10/25/2016
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Rest, ice, compression, and elevation, coupled with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, helps to manage the swelling and pain associated with bursitis. However, the underlying cause of the bursitis ultimately determines the course of treatment, which may include corticosteroid injections, drainage of fluid from the affected area, physical therapy, and surgery in some cases.
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