Inflammation of the Bursa (Bursitis)

Bursitis is an inflammatory process in the bursa that manifests itself in the typical signs of inflammation such as swelling, redness, overheating and pain in the affected area.

Inflammation of the Bursa (Bursitis)

What is bursitis?

The bursa is located anatomically precisely at the joints and supplies them with the necessary synovial fluid. See biotionary for What does LSC stand for.

Bursitis occurs mainly in the knee joint. The anterior front of the kneecap is affected by the impairments typical of the bursitis. For this reason, bursitis is considered a classic disease of the knee joint.

However, bursitis can also affect all joints, which are particularly exposed to sometimes enormous mechanical pressure. For this reason, bursitis can often also be diagnosed in the bursae of the elbow joints.

In addition, bursitis in the shoulder joint can even damage the tendons and ligaments.

Causes

The causes that can cause bursitis are relatively easy to classify. In principle, all influences that can trigger bursitis lead to the bursa in the joint being subject to inflammatory processes. This is because there may be too much pressure on the area. These can contribute to bursitis either through falls or monotonous and sustained unilateral movements of the joint.

Constant sitting, endurance sports such as jogging or tennis, as well as special professional activities, place heavy pressure on the bursa. These can react to this permanent, excessive stress in the form of bursitis. From a physiological point of view, microscopic injuries to the joints occur as a result of these effects, which is the trigger for bursitis.

In addition, accidents, arthrosis or arthritis are also the causes of bursitis in the affected joint area.

Symptoms, Ailments & Signs

Bursitis is usually a result of excessive stress on the shoulder. The pain often hits those affected completely unprepared. The symptoms often appear at night and it becomes impossible for the patient to lie on his shoulder. Due to the insidious course and the initially minor symptoms, the bursitis is usually not taken seriously and thus further delayed.

However, the pain can become so severe that a doctor’s visit is necessary. The inflamed joint is red and swollen. The affected area hurts when touched. Due to the increased blood flow to the surrounding tissue, the affected area feels warm. The inflamed joint is restricted in its movement.

The severity of the bursitis varies. If the symptoms are recognized early and taken seriously, the pain will improve after a few days. A delayed bursitis, on the other hand, can take a chronic course and pain and restricted mobility accompany the patient for months or years.

If the cause is not overwork but an infection, fever and a general feeling of illness occur in addition to pain. Bursitis can occur in the shoulder, elbow, knee, or hip. The symptoms are identical in each case.

Course of the disease

It is typical of bursitis that permanent symptoms only occur when the course is advanced and the causes are permanently present. Due to the different courses, a distinction is made between chronic and acute bursitis.

Acute bursitis can develop into chronic bursitis if left untreated and further exposure to the trigger. Depending on the joints affected, bursitis initially causes redness, an increase in warmth and swelling, which is accompanied by pain and more or less severe limitations in mobility.

Synovial fluid collects in the bursa, which causes the skin around the joints in bursitis to feel enlarged, wobbly, and doughy when palpated. After a puncture of the bursa, a liquid escapes, which is also referred to as a secretion and resembles water in the case of bursitis (bursitis). If a strong mechanical impact on the joint has caused bursitis, then this fluid is stained with blood.

Complications

In the worst case, untreated bursitis can cause blood poisoning. In most cases, however, there are no or only minor complications – inflammation and injuries to the bursa, for example. Due to the restricted movement, malpositions can occasionally occur. The inflammation can also spread to other regions of the body or even develop into a chronic disease.

The pain, which is usually severe, generally represents a considerable physical and psychological burden for those affected. In the case of a longer-lasting illness, the symptoms are exhausting and can subsequently also cause mental illnesses or aggravate existing suffering. Undesirable complications can also occur in the treatment of bursitis.

An operation rarely leads to symptoms such as bleeding, secondary bleeding, wound healing disorders and scars. Nerve, tendon, muscle and ligament injuries are also rare, but cannot be ruled out. In addition, allergic reactions to the agents and materials used can occur.

Immobilization can lead to a medium-term weakening of the muscles and thus to restricted movement of the joints. There is also a slightly increased risk of developing blood clots. Prescribed drugs can cause side effects and interactions and trigger allergic reactions.

When should you go to the doctor?

Pain and redness in the area of ​​the bursa may indicate bursitis. A doctor’s visit is recommended if the symptoms of inflammation become stronger and have not disappeared after three to four days at the latest. If there are other typical symptoms, such as signs of fever or restricted mobility in the knee, it is best to consult the doctor directly. The risk groups include people with rheumatic diseases and patients with tuberculosis, gonorrhea or other infectious diseases. Those affected should consult the competent doctorinform, if the mentioned symptoms are noticed.

The condition often occurs after an injury. If pathogens get into the tissue via a wound, inflammation and the symptoms mentioned occur. At that point, at the latest, it makes sense to visit your family doctor or an orthopaedist. Other contacts are the internist or a sports doctor. In the case of recurring complaints, a further examination in a specialist clinic makes sense. Those affected should also consult their doctor during treatment and inform him of any unusual symptoms. Antibiotics in particular can sometimes cause other changes and side effects that need to be clarified.

Treatment & Therapy

In order to be able to treat bursitis efficiently, conventional medicine regularly recommends conservative and surgical therapy. Within the conservative treatment of bursitis, various drugs in particular are used. These drugs are intended to relieve both the inflammatory processes of bursitis itself and the annoying symptoms.

The cooling of the affected joint and the temporary restriction of movement as well as effective pain medication, antirheumatic and anti-inflammatory drugs support the therapy in the case of bursitis. If bacterial bursitis occurs, antibiotics are administered. Once the painful and inflammatory processes have been curbed to a certain extent, physiotherapeutic or physiotherapeutic care can be used as a follow-up treatment for bursitis (bursitis) to restore the mobility of the joint.

In addition, ultrasound-assisted therapy is also considered effective. If the individual methods do not help, the last step can be surgical treatment of the bursitis. This is based on removing the inflamed bursa under local anesthesia. Immobilization with a fixation bandage or bandage is carried out for rapid healing after the operation.

Prevention

In principle, bursitis can be avoided if all movements or postures that strain the joint and put too much strain on the joint are reduced. This mainly concerns strong pressure effects and such movements that take place under a constant effect of forces that create friction in the joint. Expected hard falls should be prevented by appropriate protective elements in order to prevent bursitis.

Aftercare

In the worst case, untreated bursitis can cause blood poisoning. In most cases, however, there are no or only minor complications – inflammation and injuries to the bursa, for example. Due to the restricted movement, malpositions can occasionally occur. The inflammation can also spread to other regions of the body or even develop into a chronic disease.

The pain, which is usually severe, generally represents a considerable physical and psychological burden for those affected. In the case of a longer-lasting illness, the symptoms are exhausting and can subsequently also cause mental illnesses or aggravate existing suffering. Undesirable complications can also occur in the treatment of bursitis.

An operation rarely leads to symptoms such as bleeding, secondary bleeding, wound healing disorders and scars. Nerve, tendon, muscle and ligament injuries are also rare, but cannot be ruled out. In addition, allergic reactions to the agents and materials used can occur.

Immobilization can lead to a medium-term weakening of the muscles and thus to restricted movement of the joints. There is also a slightly increased risk of developing blood clots. Prescribed drugs can cause side effects and interactions and trigger allergic reactions.

You can do that yourself

Throbbing pain, redness and swelling are the classic signs of bursitis, the appearance of which can also be alleviated by self-help. It is often not even necessary to go to the doctor, for example if an athlete has had several experiences with the disease and knows how to treat it. As with many other inflammatory diseases, one tool that can often be used to control the symptoms of bursitis is cooling.

It is important that the ice is not applied directly to the affected area in order to rule out skin irritation. For example, ice cubes can be placed in a washcloth, which is then applied if ice in the form of a classic cool pack is not available. Cooling should be done moderately anyway. If you work too hard with cold, the tissue may react with increased blood flow, which tends to be counterproductive in the case of inflammation. Ice is therefore a suitable remedy in acute cases and in the event of pain, but not useful for long-term use.

Rest is also an important factor in bursitis. This means, for example, that kneeling should be avoided if the inflammation is manifested in the knee. The effects of heat, such as hot baths, are also not advisable, at least in the acute stage. Athletes wait until the inflammation has subsided before training and competing again.