Bursitis: symptoms, causes and treatment

Definition of bursitis

What is bursitis?

Bursitis is a type of joint disease in the form of inflammation or swelling of the lubricating fluid-filled sac called bursae. Bursae are usually located around the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and feet.

Bursae function as a cushion between the bone and surrounding organs such as muscles, tendons and skin to facilitate movement.

This musculoskeletal disorder often occurs in joints that are frequently moved. Bursitis can recur after the patient has undergone treatment, unless the cause is stopped.

Treatment usually rests the affected joint and protects it from further trauma. In most cases, the pain from bursitis will go away within a few weeks with proper treatment, but a recurrence of the condition that disrupts the functioning of the motor systems is common.

How common is this condition?

Inflammation of the sac bursae is a common condition that can occur in all ages and genders.

Even so, the older you get, the higher the risk. This is especially true for people who do work with activities with repetitive movements such as painters, gardeners, and musicians.

Signs and symptoms of bursitis

The signs and symptoms of this health problem in the human motor system are actually quite simple and easy to recognize. The typical symptom of inflammation in the bursae sac is the appearance of pain and redness in the inflamed joint.

This pain is usually worse when you move. In addition, bursitis also causes symptoms of pain and stiffness.

Bursitis can occur in any part of the body. However, this condition generally occurs in joints that are frequently moved, such as the elbows, knees, shoulders, and hips.

When to see a doctor?

This disease is not a serious disease. However, if not treated properly, bursitis can become more severe. You should contact your doctor immediately if:

• The pain continues for more than a week without relief.
• Too swelling, redness, bruising or rash on the affected area.
• Sudden pain, especially when exercising.
• Fever develops.

Causes of bursitis

The most common causes of bursitis are repetitive movements or positions that put pressure on around the joint, for example:

• Paint.
• Gardening.
• Sports such as tennis and golf.
• Squat for too long while brushing the floor.
• Bad posture.
• Leaning on the elbows for a long time.
• Repeatedly throwing a ball or lifting something overhead.

Not only that, this condition can also be caused from direct injury or trauma to the joint due to too hard an impact. In addition, various types of joint inflammation such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout or gout, as well as infections can also be the cause of inflammation in this bursae sac.

Bursitis risk factors

Some of the factors that can make you more prone to diseases that attack the bursae sacs in these joints are:

• Age

The older you are, the higher your risk of developing this condition.

• Jobs and hobbies

The risk of bursitis will increase if the profession or hobby requires repetitive, monotonous movements, and puts pressure on certain parts of the synovium.

• History of certain diseases

Some diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and diabetes can increase the risk of bursitis.

Not having risk factors doesn't mean you can't get this disease. Risk factors are for reference only. Consult your doctor for more information.

Diagnosis & treatment of bursitis

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

To diagnose bursitis, the doctor will usually perform a medical history and physical examination. Then, there are several types of tests that you may have to undergo, such as:

• X-rays, usually done to exclude other conditions not related to bursitis, such as fractures.
• Ultrasound or MRI (magnetic imaging resonance) performed to detect swelling of the bursae bag.
• Blood test to check for infection.
• Test the fluid that is on the exchange to determine if the fluid has been affected.

What are the treatment options for bursitis?

Some of the common treatment options for bursitis are:

1. Use of drugs

Your doctor may recommend using pain or pain relievers such as acetaminophen or other drugs nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen.

You can buy it without a doctor's prescription at the nearest pharmacy. However, if you feel that your condition is not getting better even after taking the drug, your doctor may prescribe a type of drug that has a stronger effect.

In fact, doctors may even prescribe a corticosteroid that is given by injection into an bursae bag. Not only that, the doctor may also prescribe antibiotics if inflammation of the bursae is due to an infection.

2. Physical therapy

The Mayo Clinic also recommends that bursitis patients undergo therapy or physical exercises that can help strengthen the muscles in the affected area to reduce pain and prevent bursitis from recurring.

Physical therapy serves to improve the ability to move the body part that is experiencing bursitis again. While undergoing physical therapy, you may do the following:

• Water therapy.
• Manual therapy for soft tissues.
• Physical exercise programs that are tailored to the condition of each patient's body.
• Posture analysis and gait.
• Learn various ways to avoid injury from overuse of joints to perform the same movements.

3. Use of tools

When you have bursitis, you may experience difficulty moving. This condition depends on the location of the bursitis. If bursitis occurs in the leg area, you may have difficulty walking.

Meanwhile, if bursitis occurs in the elbow or hand area, it may be difficult for you to move the hand. Therefore, the tools that can be used are also adjusted to the affected area.

If you have bursitis in the leg area, a tool that can be used is a walking stick, crutches, or any device that can help reduce pressure on the area of ​​the leg that has bursitis.

If this condition occurs in the elbow and hand area, you can use arm sling which can help temporarily support your hand until the pain subsides.

4. Operation

At a level that is already severe, you may have to undergo surgical procedures. Usually, surgery should be performed if the treatment for bursitis does not work after six months to a year.

Even so, surgery to treat bursitis which is done by removing the inflamed bursa bag is often the final option and is still relatively rare.

5. Compress with cold water

You can also compress the sore area with a towel that has been moistened with cold water for at least 15 minutes and is done several times a day.

6. Get plenty of rest

If you already have bursitis, one alternative that can be done is to get plenty of rest. Try to stop strenuous activity for at least two weeks.

Do light activities and avoid activities that make you have to do repetitive movements, especially with the affected body part.

Home remedies for bursitis

Some of the lifestyle changes and home remedies that may help you deal with the inflammation affecting the bursae sacs in these joints are:

• Rest and do not move the inflamed area to promote healing.
• Use ice to reduce swelling.
• If you have bursitis on your knees, place a pillow between your legs while lying on one side to reduce pressure on your knees.
• If you have bursitis in the elbow, avoid putting pressure on your hands while leaning back.
• Use protective equipment when participating in sporting events.
• Avoid repetitive activities.

Prevention of bursitis

Although not all types of bursitis can be prevented, you can reduce the risk and severity of the condition by changing your habits. Here are the steps to prevent bursitis that you can take:

• Use knee pads

Use some type of pad to reduce the pressure on your knees if your job or hobby requires a lot of kneeling.

• Lift objects in the right way

Bend your knees when you lift something. If you don't do this, you are putting additional pressure on the bursae in the hip.

• Push heavy loads the right way

Carrying heavy loads puts pressure on the bursae on your shoulders. Use a dolly or wheelbarrow instead.

• Take frequent breaks

Take breaks between tasks or repetitive activities.

• Maintain an ideal body weight

Being overweight puts more stress on your joints.

• Get regular exercise

Strengthening your muscles through exercise can help protect sore joints.

• Warm up before strenuous activity

Warm up and stretch before engaging in strenuous activity to protect your joints from injury.

Bursitis complications

Basically, there are no serious health conditions or problems that might complicate bursitis. However, there are several conditions that may become more severe due to inflammation that occurs in the bursae sacs that are not treated immediately.

One of them is the joints that become stiff due to inflammation of the bursae pouch. If joint stiffness occurs, the affected part of the body may become difficult to move, or the movement that can be done may be limited.

In addition, inflammation that attacks the bursae sacs in this joint can also increase the severity of joint pain that may have previously appeared or felt.

Then, another complication that may occur due to bursitis is the spread of infection to other tissues and organs of the body, which do not experience this inflammation. This may occur if the inflammation of the sac bursae is caused by an infection.

Therefore, if you have bursitis, immediately get treatment and home care to treat the condition. If after a certain period of time your condition still does not improve, immediately consult a doctor for further treatment.