Bursitis Treatment

Medically reviewed by Joshua L. Hare, DO, Founder & Medical Director

Bursitis is an inflamed bursa, the sac that cushions a joint

Bursitis is inflammation of the bursae — small, fluid-filled sacs[1] that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles near joints. When a bursa becomes inflamed, the affected joint becomes painful, stiff, and swollen. The most commonly affected areas are the shoulder, hip (trochanteric bursitis), knee (prepatellar bursitis), and elbow (olecranon bursitis). Bursitis can result from repetitive motions, prolonged pressure on a joint, injury, infection, or underlying conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or gout. At IPC, we treat bursitis with precise, ultrasound-guided bursa injections that deliver anti-inflammatory medication directly to the inflamed bursa, providing rapid and targeted relief.

Symptoms of bursitis

A bursa is a small fluid-filled cushion that lets tendon and bone glide past each other. When one becomes inflamed, the pain is usually well-localised — most people can put a finger on it.

• Pain and tenderness directly over the affected area, most often the outer hip, the point of the shoulder, the kneecap or the elbow
• Pain that is worse when pressure is applied — hip bursitis in particular often makes lying on that side at night difficult
• A specific movement that reliably reproduces the pain, such as reaching overhead or climbing stairs
• Mild swelling or warmth over the spot, most visible at the elbow or knee where the bursa sits close to the surface

Bursitis pain is typically sharper and more pinpoint than the deep ache of arthritis, though the two frequently occur together in the same joint.

When to see a pain specialist about bursitis

Many episodes settle with rest, activity modification and anti-inflammatories over a few weeks. A specialist evaluation is worth arranging when that has not happened — when pain has persisted beyond about six weeks, when it keeps recurring in the same spot, or when night pain is costing you sleep.

Persistent bursitis often responds well to an image-guided injection placed directly into the bursa, which is both more accurate and more comfortable than a landmark-guided attempt. Recurrent bursitis deserves a wider look, because it is frequently secondary to something else — a gait problem, a tendon issue, or arthritis in the nearby joint — and treating only the bursa tends to buy temporary relief.

A bursa that is hot, red, rapidly swelling and painful, particularly with a fever, needs same-day assessment to rule out infection, which is managed differently.

Treatment options for bursitis

Bursitis is usually treated with a targeted injection, and the two options below differ mainly in what is injected and where. Addressing the biomechanics or overuse underneath is what keeps it from coming back.

References

Clinical sources for this page.

1. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus. Bursitis. Back to first citation ↑