Bursitis

Bursitis is a condition in which the fluid-filled sacs (bursae) in joints become inflamed. This can cause pain or discomfort in the affected area, which makes it difficult to move the joint. Bursitis usually occurs near joints that are subject to repetitive use over a long period of time. Common areas include the shoulders, elbows, and hips. In rare cases, it can occur in the knees, heels, and base of the big toe joint. 

Lubricating sacs are found at joints and support tendons, bones, and muscles. These sacs reduce friction and shock during body movement. If you experience pain from inflammation of the sacs at a joint, self-care measures such as resting the affected joint may help relieve symptoms. 

Symptoms of Bursitis

Patients will have different symptoms depending on the location of the disease and the severity of the disease, as follows:

• Pain or tightness in the affected area. Symptoms may occur slowly or may be severe and sudden if calcium deposits occur in the joint. 
• Pain is worse when moving or when the joint is pressed.
• The joint area is swollen, red, and has symptoms of joint stiffness. 

However, patients should see a doctor immediately if they have a fever  , feel sudden severe pain, feel uncomfortable or pain in other areas, feel a sharp pain when exercising or exercising, have swelling, redness or bruising, feel heat in the joint, or have difficulty moving the joint, which may indicate a risk of infection or other symptoms.

With proper treatment, pain usually improves within 2 to 3 weeks, but patients should take care of themselves to reduce the risk of recurrence later, as bursitis can recur. 

Causes of Bursitis

Common causes are accidents, injuries or damage to the joint fluid sac from playing sports or repetitive movements for a long time, standing, sitting or staying in the wrong position, as well as pre-existing diseases that cause pain or swelling in the affected area. 

The causes of bursitis vary depending on the area where the symptoms occur, as follows:

• Prepatellar bursitis is caused by sports, prolonged use of the knee, or infection, and can be sudden or chronic. 
• Olecranon bursitis is a chronic condition caused by prolonged exposure to hard surfaces, injury, or infection of the joint. 
• Trochanteric bursitis is a slow-growing inflammation of the bursa around the hip joint. Symptoms often occur slowly and may occur with inflammatory arthritis, such  as rheumatoid arthritis or gout, or may be caused by prolonged weight-bearing on the hip, poor posture when standing or sitting, injury, or infection of the joint.
• Retrocalcaneal bursitis can occur acutely or chronically from running, jumping, repetitive weight-bearing activities, exercise without warming up or wearing shoes that are too tight.

People who are at risk of developing bursitis include those who use their bodies for work or activities that require heavy use of the joints, such as musicians, athletes, painters, or other manual laborers. Age factors, which are more likely to occur in people over 40 years old, and underlying medical conditions that increase the risk of developing bursitis, such as arthritis, gout, diabetes, and being overweight.

Diagnosis of Bursitis

If the joint is swollen, the doctor will ask about your symptoms and perform a physical examination. He or she may then make a further diagnosis using the following methods:

• Diagnostic imaging tests include X-rays to help your doctor partially rule out other causes of bursitis-like pain, swelling, or inflammation in your joints. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound may also be used to provide a clearer picture of your joint.
• Laboratory tests: Your doctor may test your blood or take a sample of fluid from a sac around your joint to rule out infection or other causes, such as rheumatoid arthritis or an injury. Common areas for infection are the knees and elbows.

Bursitis Treatment

Treatment varies depending on the location and severity of the symptoms. 

Self-care at home

Bursitis symptoms can be improved with self-care measures. Patients should limit or rest the affected area, use a pillow between the legs when sleeping on their side to reduce pressure on the knee, apply cold compresses to reduce pain or swelling, and take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen to  help relieve pain and inflammation. Or use a pain reliever cream as recommended by your pharmacist.

Medical treatment

If the patient does not improve their symptoms after using self-care methods at home within 1 week, they should see a doctor to find the appropriate treatment method, such as:

• Medication: Your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics for you if the cyst in your joint becomes infected.
• Steroid injections. Your  doctor may inject corticosteroids to relieve pain and inflammation, especially if your symptoms do not improve after taking the medication or if your pain is severe. Steroids work quickly and are usually given only once. 
• Physical therapy or exercise can help increase the strength of the muscles in the affected area, reduce pain, and prevent future bursitis.
• Use of support devices and pressure relief in the affected area, such as a cane or other device to assist the patient in walking. 
• Surgery to drain the fluid in the cyst if it becomes inflamed, or surgery to remove the inflamed cyst if necessary, but this is very rare.

Complications of Bursitis

Bursitis can make daily life difficult or difficult to walk or sit down because the symptoms directly affect the joints. If a patient has an infection in the fluid-filled sac around the joint (septic bursitis), it will result in pain and swelling, fever, a feeling of heat in the joint, and swelling around the joint. If not treated properly, the infection can spread to the joints, bones in other parts of the body, or become a blood infection.

Bursitis Prevention

Although there is no way to prevent all types of bursitis, you can reduce your risk of developing it or reduce its severity, as follows:

• When kneeling, working or performing activities that require kneeling on hard surfaces, use a knee pad to reduce impact or pressure.
• When lifting objects from the floor, bend your knees to reduce impact or friction on the hip joint sac. However, if the object is heavy, use a cart instead of lifting it yourself to prevent shoulder injuries.

• Take breaks between activities and change your posture, because prolonged use of the joints can cause inflammation of the bursa around the joints.
• Keep your weight within a healthy range and exercise regularly to strengthen your joints. 
• Always warm up and stretch before exercising to reduce the chances of joint injury.
• If you start playing a new sport that you have never played before, you should start gradually because playing too hard will increase your risk of injury.