What is bursitis? Different Types, Symptoms, and Treatments

Bursitis is the swelling of a bursa. Bursae are fluid-filled sacs that are located around the joints.

Bursitis can cause pain and discomfort in the affected area, which in turn limits how you move your joints. But why does this condition occur? Are all types of bursitis the same? Are there ways to treat or prevent it? In this article, we will go over everything you need to know about this condition.

Types of bursitis

As there are over 150 bursae in the body, there are many different types of bursitis. For example:

Trochanteric bursitis: Swelling in the bursae of the hips that can develop slowly. This is the most common type of bursitis. It is usually caused by lying on the hips for long periods, suffering an injury, maintaining improper posture while sitting or standing, or having a disease that affects the bones, such as arthritis.
Prepatellar bursitis: Swelling around the patella that can be acute or chronic. It is usually caused by tears or damage, usually from playing sports, repeatedly bending the knees, kneeling for long periods, or an infection.
Olecranon bursitis: Swelling around the elbow that is usually chronic. In some cases, small nodules may be felt within the bursae. Its main causes include repeatedly resting the elbows on hard surfaces, receiving a strong blow in the back of the elbow, and having an infection or gout (a condition in which uric acid crystals build up in the body).
Retrocalcaneal bursitis: Swelling around the heel that can be acute or chronic. It is usually brought about by running, jumping, or other repetitive activities that inflame the bursae in the heels. Other causes include doing strenuous exercise without adequate warmup and wearing shoes that are too tight.
Septic (infectious) bursitis: Occurs when a bursa becomes swollen from a bacterial infection. This usually happens when bacteria is introduced directly into the bursa through a wound on the surrounding skin. It can also be caused by skin infections, such as cellulitis, or blood or joint infections.
Aseptic (non-infectious) bursitis: Usually caused by minor repetitive trauma to the joint area or a strain injury.

There are various risk factors for bursitis:

• Older age.
• Getting an infection that can spread to the bursae, bones, or joints.
• Playing sports or doing repetitive activities.
• Suffering an injury to the bursa.
• Having a chronic medical condition.
• Maintaining incorrect posture.
• Using a joint repetitively.

What are the symptoms of bursitis?

Swelling of the bursae can cause different symptoms, which vary depending on the type of bursitis. For example, prepatellar bursitis can make it hard to bend your knee; olecranon bursitis, your elbow. Walking can be difficult with retrocalcaneal bursitis, and lying on the hips can be painful with trochanteric bursitis. Septic bursitis can cause a fever or chills.

However, there are some symptoms that all types of bursitis share, which include:

• Joint pain.
• Joint swelling.
• Erythema or “skin redness,” which can appear purple or slightly darker than the normal skin tone.
• Thickening of the bursae.

How is bursitis treated?

To diagnose bursitis, a health care professional will perform several tests, such as physical exams, X-rays, ultrasounds, and blood tests, or take samples from the affected bursae.

In general, the recommendations to relieve bursitis are rest, pain medicine, and ice applied to the affected joint. However, some cases may require other treatments:

• Antibiotics: Necessary when the bursa is infected.
• Corticosteroids: To relieve pain, inflammation, and swelling, as long as there are no signs of infection in or around the bursa.
• Exercise or physical therapy: Used to relieve certain symptoms, such as immobility and pain.
• Chronic or severe cases in which treatment does not help may require surgery to remove the affected bursa.

While treatment will improve the condition, bursitis can become chronic. This is more likely when:

• Bursitis is not diagnosed or treated properly.
• Bursitis is caused by an underlying health problem that cannot be cured.

Can bursitis be prevented?

Although bursitis cannot always be prevented, there are some basic lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of developing it and prevent severe flares. Some of the recommended strategies include:

• Maintain a healthy weight to avoid putting additional stress on the joints.
• Exercise regularly to strengthen the muscles that support the joints.
• Take frequent breaks during repetitive tasks.
• Warm up before strenuous exercise.
• Practice good posture while sitting and standing.
• Stop an activity if you feel pain.

Sources: National Library of Medicine; Mayo Clinic; Harvard Health Publishing; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.