What’s that tenderness in your elbow? Is playing tennis a pain in the knee? Does your shoulder hurt when you garden, rake, paint or pick up your kids? These kinds of pain are often caused by bursitis, which occurs near joints that perform frequent repetitive motions.
Your body contains about 160 bursa sacs, tiny fluid-filled sacs that protect joints from inflammation by reducing friction between tissues of the body. They can be found wherever you have joints, but bursa sacs are mainly found in the shoulders, hips, knees and elbows. While injury and overuse of the joint are often the causes of bursitis, or inflammation of bursa sacs, age is also a factor. As tendons age they are able to tolerate stress less, are less elastic and can tear more easily.
Treatments for bursitis include:
- Rest for the inflamed area
- Avoiding activities that aggravate the condition
- Ice compress to reduce swelling
- Anti-inflammatory and pain medications
- Cortisone injections can rapidly reduce inflammation
Occasionally, the bursa sac may need to be aspirated with a needle and syringe by the physician. Physical therapy can also be helpful in preventing a return of the condition.
For more information about how PainCare of San Diego can help treat your bursitis, call us at 858.202.1546.