Bursitis. Bursitus Treatment and Symptoms

What is Bursitis?

Bursitis is the word given to the inflammation or irritation of a bursa. What is this bursa? Well, Bursae (the pleural of bursa) are small sacs filled with a small amount of fluid, which are located between moving bodily structures such as muscles, bones, skin and tendons. In numbers, there are more than one hundred and fifty bursa sacs in the human body. The bursa acts as a cushion pack which allows smooth gliding between different body parts.

Bursa acts as a medium to prevent friction between body tissues. It helps muscles, tendons, etc to slide over each other smoothly. Of the many bursas in the body most are found particularly in the areas of the shoulders, the knees, the elbows, the hips and the Achilles tendon areas.

Following are the much known symptoms and signs of Bursitis:

• Joint pain and tenderness is the most common symptom of Bursitis.
• Swelling is another common bursitis symptom.
• Warmth over the affected joint or area is yet another bursitus symptom.

The most widely stated and recognized causes of bursitis and tendinitis is excessive or repetitive movement of joint/joints, and more then enough exercise for which the body is not accustomed to. As the body starts to age, the blood flow to the tendons starts to get decreased. This results in the bodies ever diminishing ability to heal which further results to initiate bursitis (bursitus) and tendinitis.

Your health care provider may recommend icing several times per day and may prescribe physical therapy which will improve strength and flexibility around the affected part. Physical therapy also helps. Physical therapy works in two ways: it helps the bursitis improve and at the same time it helps to prevent any future recurrences. While working on your hands and/or feet, concentrate on the reflex that matches the body part where the pain is flaring up.

Treatment for Bursitis (Bursitus Treatments):

In some people gentle stroking of the muscles near and around the affected joint eases bursitis. A popular folk remedy used for arthritis, black cherry juice may also work to relieve bursitis.

Taking up medications such as ibuprofen or aspirin may be helpful to reduce pain and inflammation caused by Bursits. However do consult your doctor before taking any of these if you have a history of stomach ulcers or are on any type of blood thinning medications.

In case your bursitis is not infectious, the health care provider may inject the bursa with a corticosteroid in order to  reduce inflammation. However, the results last for varying length of time with different individuals. On account of  potential complications, injections are usually given in no more than three times per year and at least 30 days apart from each dose in treatment for bursitus.

Bursitis which is caused by infection is treated with antibiotic medications. In some cases the infected bursa must be drained surgically to help healing.

In the quest to treat bursitis which results from overuse of body parts, as opposed to arthritis, the following steps would help:

• The body part with the problem should be provided with maximum rest. Temporary rest and immobilization of the affected body part or joint is a must.
• Apply ice on the affected part for the first two days. It should be applied 4 times a day for at least twenty minutes. After that apply moist heat to get relieve from pain, this will also stimulate blood flow to the affected part.
• Do not resume exercise until the pain has completely ceased.
• If the conditions persist, you must visit a physician who may give cortisone injections which will help to get the problem treated.

Prevention of Bursitis:

To counter the adverse effects of excessive exercise which results in bursits, gradually build up the frequency and intensity of the activity and always make sure to warm up and then cool down before and after every exercise schedule.

Always change body position frequently. This point is very important if you sit at your desk for long hours. This frequent change in your position and posture will go a long way to minimize stress on specific tendons. Short breaks will only add to the benefit.