1. Least Effective Exercises Slideshow
2. Dehydration Slideshow
3. First Aid Care and Pain Relief for Minor Injuries

Medical Author:

Samuel J Haraldson, MD

Coauthor:

Barbara J Blasko, MD

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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The diagnosis of tendinitis is most often made based on history and a physical examination.

Imaging studies may help confirm the diagnosis. The imaging study of choice is the MRI. An MRI gives a very detailed picture and can identify a tear, rupture, inflammation, or other disease processes. An MRI is not useful in visualizing inflammation of the tendon sheath, tenosynovitis, unless fluid is present within the sheath itself.

Your doctor will check if your bursitis has an inflammatory or an infectious cause. The elbow and knee have a higher risk of having an infectious cause, so fluid will probably be drained from your joint to be checked for bacterial infection.

Conditions that put you at a higher risk for infectious bursitis include the following:

• Chronic alcoholism
• Diabetes
• Uremia
• Gout
• Manual labor
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

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