Have you ever felt like your joints are really mad at you? Are you feeling knee pain? Bursitis might be the troublemaker if you've been having pain, swelling, or stiffness in your shoulders, elbows, hips, or knees. Because all these are clear symptoms of Bursitis. Do you know what percentage have Bursitis? According to a National Health Institute of Health report, at least 1 out of 10,000 people get Bursitis. If you are one of them, you have Bursitis and want to know how to manage it, so don't worry. This article is all about Bursitis.
What is Bursitis?
Do you
know what Bursitis is? Let me tell you there are fluid-filled sacs present
around the joints. These are usually present around the tendons, skin, and
where muscle tissues meet the bones. They act as lubricants to prevent friction
during joint movement. When inflammation of these bursae occurs, it is known as
Bursitis.
These
inflamed bursae can become a major source of pain and discomfort. They can also
lead to limited joint movement.
Symptoms of Bursitis
Following
are some signs and symptoms of Bursitis
●
Joint pain
●
Joint swelling
● Thickening of bursae
● Redness and sometimes purple appearances
These
signs and symptoms vary with the types of Bursitis
●
When someone suffers from prepatellar Bursitis, it can
cause bending of the leg
● If someone has olecranon bursitis, it can cause difficulty in bending your arm
● When you have trochanteric and calcaneal Bursitis, it can lead to difficulty in walking
Types of Bursitis
There are
150 bursae present in the human body, and there are different types of
Bursitis. We will discuss some of them here.
When
inflammation occurs around the knee cell, it is known as prepatellar Bursitis,
which can also be called patella. There are two types of it.
●
Acute
● Chronic
The
inflammation around the elbow is known as olecranon Bursitis. The affected
bursae, present at elbow tipsare known as olecranon. It is mostly chronic.
The
inflammation of the bursae at the tips of the hips is known as trochanteric
Bursitis. It takes time to develop and appear.
It can
occur with other underlying medical conditions like arthritis. Additionally
there is another classification of Bursitis based on the causes of
inflammation.
This type
of Bursitis is caused by infection. The main reason for this type of Bursitis
is skin rupturing around the bursa. Microorganisms enter through this punctured
skin. In this, the bursa gets swallowed and becomes red. The systemic signs of
this hypothermia and fever, along with some other signs of infection.
This type
of Bursitis occurs due to repetitive minor trauma.
Causes of Bursitis
There are
different reasons for Bursitis. The most common is multiple injuries or damage
to the skin of the bursae. This damage can cause some signs and symptoms like
erythema, swelling and pain.
There are
different causes for different type of bursitis.
This type
of Bursitis occurs when there is a puncture of the kneecaps or knee bursae. The
skin gets swollen
There are
some reasons for bursae
●
Habitual of bending your knee repeatedly
●
Sports-related injury
●
If you stay on your knees for a long time
●
Any infection
●
Bleeding due to any cause in bursae
This type
of inflammation occurs when you keep or support your elbow on hard surfaces for
longer. Other reasons for it are Infection and Gout.
Gout
occurs due to a high accumulation of uric acid crystals in the body. Gout leads
to the formation of small nodules or tophi.
Trochanteric Bursitis
Trochanteric
Bursitis means inflammation in the bursae of the hips. There are multiple
reasons for this, like
●
Injury
●
Resting on your hips for longer time period
●
Improper sitting posture
● Sitting on uncomfortable objects or surfaces
● Some medical conditions like arthritis
What are the risk factors for Bursitis?
Following
are the risk factors of Bursitis
●
Increasing age
●
Underlying chronic medical problem
●
Repetitive sports activities
●
Repetitive use of a given joint
●
Uncomfortable posture
● Infection
● Injuries to bursae
How to diagionose a bursitis?
You can
diagnose Bursitis by a proper physical examination. The healthcare provider
will take a proper patient Nf history and then examine the suspected area. So,
the patient must tell the doctor what he was doing just before he noticed the
symptoms.
After the
physical examination, additional tests are performed to confirm the diagnosis.
●
X-ray
●
Ultrasound
●
MRI
● CBC
● An aspiration
Treatment and management
You can
cure Bursitis by avoiding activities that cause pressure on the affected area.
This will heal the damage and prevent it from getting worse.
Follow
your doctor's instructions about bed rest and avoiding physical activities.
Doctors
can also guide you about any home treatments, such as
Elevate the damaged area
Take
over-the-counter pain relievers, for example, naproxen, ibuprofen, and
acetaminophen. But dont take these painkillers continuously for more than ten
days.
You can
avoid getting Bursitis by not over-excessively using your body.
Learn
proper and comfortable posture during physical work or sports activities.
Avoid
sitting in one place for too long.
Use
cushions or pads while sitting or lying on hard objects.
Taking
breaks is important during extensive physical activities.
Conclusion
As you
know, Bursitis is a condition in which sacs develop around your joint, making
your movement difficult and painful. This is not that common, but many people
experience it every year, and it is an unavoidable condition. So there are a
few ways to get rid of it, such as using medicine naproxen, ibuprofen, and
acetaminophen. Try ice compression therapy, use a cousin while sitting, don't
sit for longer periods, do light exercises, etc.