Bursitis is a painful inflammation of the joint. It can be due to the trauma, injury or because of age. It is better to consult the Orthopedic in time to prevent the complication associated with Bursitis. Exercise daily and try to reduce weight to prevent the chances of Bursitis.
Have you ever felt the pain in the shoulders, hip or elbow? Are you feeling stiffness in the main joints? If yes, then you are suffering from Bursitis. But what is Bursitis? Bursitis is the inflammation of the Bursae. Read further to know about the details –
Bursitis
Bursitis is a condition that affects the small and fluid-filled sacs. These small filled sacs are known as the Bursae. Bursae acts as a cushion to the tendons, muscles, and bones near the joints. Bursitis occurs when the Bursae becomes inflated. Shoulders, hips, and joints are most commonly affected by the Bursitis. Your heel, big toe, and knee may also get affected by the Bursitis. These generally occur near the joints that perform the repetitive motions.
Symptoms
Bursitis mostly affects the joints. So, you are most likely to see the following symptoms in the affected joints –
- Joint may appear swollen and red
- You may feel stiffness in the joint
- The joint will ache a lot
- The joint will hurt a lot when pressed.
When to consult the Orthopedics
When suffering from Bursitis, one should consult the Orthopedics. Orthopedics will provide the appropriate treatment after the diagnosis. But when you should consult the Orthopedics? You should consult the Orthopedics in the following situations –
- Joint pain that is disabling.
- Pain that causes the inability in moving the joint.
- Sharp shooting pain in the joint when pressed on.
- Pain when you exercise or exert pressure on the joint.
- Suffering from fever.
- Swelling, rashes, and redness in the affected joint.
Causes of Bursitis
Why does Bursitis happen? Why the bursae get inflamed? Following are the causes of Bursitis –
- The most common cause of Bursitis is the repetitive motions that exert the pressure on the bursae. Some of the following activities can cause Bursitis –
- Throwing the baseball.
- Lifting something on your head.
- Leaning on your elbows for a longer period of time.
- Extreme kneeling tasks like laying down the carpet and scrubbing tasks
- Other causes are –
- Injury or trauma to the affected site.
- Inflammatory Arthritis
- Gout
- Infection
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Risk Factors for Bursitis
Following are the risk factors for the Bursitis –
- Age – Bursitis is common in the elderly people.
- Medical Conditions - Bursitis will come as a result of other medical conditions like – Rheumatoid Arthritis, Gout, Diabetes etc. Being obese can result in the knee and hip bursitis.
- Occupation – If your job requires repetitive motion than you are most likely affected by the Bursitis. Example of such occupations is – gardening, playing any musical instrument, laying down the carpets, setting the tiles on the floor, playing games like baseball. Several hobbies may also result in Bursitis.
Prevention of Bursitis
All types of Bursitis cannot be prevented. But, you can reduce the risks of Bursitis by changing your way of doing certain tasks –
- Use Kneeling Pads – You can use kneeling pads to prevent the excessive pressure on the knees. This will be helpful in jobs where kneeling is important.
- Lift Properly – Always bend your knees when you lift. This will reduce extra pressure on the hips.
- Frequent Brakes – Repeat the tasks while having some break in between.
- Exercise – Do the exercise to strengthen your muscles. This can prevent damage to the joints.
- Wheel the heavy loads – Carrying heavy loads on the shoulder can result in bursae in the shoulder. Use a cart instead of weighing on the shoulder.
- Healthy Weight – Always maintain the appropriate weight. Otherwise, the excessive pressure on joints may result in Bursitis.
Therefore, Bursitis may occur because of various factors including some of the medical conditions. It is better to consult the Orthopedics in time.