What is bursitis?
Bursitis can be defined as the inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a tiny sac filled with fluid, and aims to reduce friction between various tissues on the body. The major bursae can be found next to tendons close to large joints like knees and hips.
Causes
A bursa usually becomes inflamed as a result of injury, but it can also result from infection or some sort of rheumatic condition. Injury to any tissue results in an inflammatory response, and with bursae it is no different. It generally occurs when a large amount of pressure is placed on a particular joint, and most often goes for the knees and hips. Older people and people who are overweight are at risk of this.
Infection results in inflammation of the relevant area. This type is not as common as the one resulting from injury and generally tends to spare the shoulder. Underlying rheumatic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis can also lead to inflammation of the bursae. Gout can also cause inflammation of the bursae and it tends to affect the bursa of the elbow.
Symptoms of bursitis
Inflammation of a bursa will result in swelling, tenderness and pain of the joint involved. It will often be more painful on moving the joint. Many people confuse this with muscular pain or just attribute it to signs of ageing. It is worth it to consult a doctor to rule out this condition because it is very common. The sooner it is diagnosed the sooner it can be treated and long term damage can be avoided.
Diagnosis
The condition can be diagnosed based on the clinical features but certain investigations can be done to confirm the diagnosis. An x-ray, for example, will be able to identify any calcifications in bursae. This happens when a bursa has undergone chronic or recurrent inflammation.
Treatment
The treatment for bursitis will depend on what the cause is. The infectious type will require the use of antibiotics in order to fight the infective organism. The bursa can be drained of the fluid within it, or the bursa itself can be surgically removed. This is known as a bursectomy. The joint will still function normally after the wound has healed.
Non-infectious inflammation of the bursa requires management of the underlying cause. Milder forms of the condition can be treated with a cold compress and rest. This will be enough to deal with the inflammation and return the joint to normal. More serious types may require anti-inflammatory medication and well as painkillers. In very serious cases the bursa may be removed. This applies to bursa that contain calcifications because of chronic or recurrent inflammation.
Removing fluid from the bursa with a needle is known as aspiration. This is done in infectious cases where the doctor would like to identify the causative organism so that the right type of antibiotics can be given. This may also be done simply to relieve the pressure and subsequently reduce the pain and swelling.
