Bursitis

Not every ache or pain is arthritis, which is the inflammation of the joints though many people will jump to that conclusion. Bursitis is a common source of pain and though it can be part of the rheumatic conditions which falls under the category of arthritis, bursitis is not the inflammation of the joints.

Bursitis in the inflammation of the bursae which are small fluid-filled sacs. The purpose of the bursae is to stop the friction between tissues by providing a gliding surface. The body has 160 bursae. The major or most important bursae will be found adjacent to tendons which are near the joints of the knee, shoulder, hip, and elbows.

The causes of bursitis

The bursae usually become inflamed because of an injury, infection, or a rheumatic (diseases which affect the joints) condition. A person can injure the bursae of the shoulder simply by lifting a bag of groceries to the car. That is why it is often difficult to determine just when the injury occurred. Or just scraping the knee can cause injury to the bursae and cause prepatellar bursitis as well. Inflammation caused by gout crystals (gouty olecranon bursitis) is also a primary cause of bursitis.

Gout

Gout is a condition where there is too much uric acid in the body and the deposit of uric acids form crystals, which are located in the body tissue. These uric crystals are found particularly around the joints. Gout is a form of arthritis and is a progressive disease. Gout is also one of the most common diseases present throughout the history of humankind.

Bursitis symptoms and diagnoses

Bursitis causes great pain, swelling and tenderness to the area that is affected. Doctors will sometimes take an X-ray to look for calcium deposits in the affect joints if the bursitis is constant or recurring.

Bursitis treatments

The determining factor for treating bursitis is whether there is infection or not.

Bursitis without infection

If there is no infection, the treatment for bursitis is rather simple. Simply applying ice packs to the affected area will reduce the swelling. Bed rest and anti-inflammatory medication is often prescribed as well. Occasionally the doctor may need to perform an aspiration of the fluid within the bursa. This procedure will be done with a needle and syringe to remove the fluid. The procedure can be done in the doctor's office and then the extracted fluid is sent to the lab for analysis. If the swelling is bad, a cortisone injection may be necessary to reduce the swelling. Often the cortisone injection will be given the same time as the aspiration.

Infectious (septic) bursitis

The bursae fluid in infectious or septic bursitis must be examined under a microscope to determine what toxins or microbes are causing the infection. The treatment for septic bursitis includes drainage of the fluid sacs (aspiration) and antibiotics which may have to be given intravenously. Sometimes the surgical removal of the infected bursa is required.

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