Bursitis Information

Last updated on 27 April 2021 by Danniel Jacques (B.Med.Sci UNSW)

What is Bursitis?

Bursitis Treatment OSMO PatchBursitis is the irritation and inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a small lubricated balloon like sac found throughout the body. These sacs help bones and tendons to articulate and glide over each other by reducing friction and irritation.

The bursae contain a small amount of lubricating fluid within them known as ‘synovial fluid’. These sacs are located around joints and other moving parts of the body, such as the shoulder, elbow, foot, hip, knee and ankle.

The bursae act like cushions while also reducing friction between sliding tendons and bones. Occasionally a bursa will be subjected to ongoing stress or a sudden trauma. When this occurs it usually results in an inflamed bursa that fills with fluid. This condition is known as BURSITIS and can be the cause of considerable discomfort and pain.

What Causes Bursitis?

There are a number of possible causes of bursitis and these include overuse and repetitive strain, a sudden impact injury,  several autoimmune diseases as well as other disorders. In many cases there will already be pre-existing age related degenerative changes in the joint that make an individual more susceptible to inflammation and subsequent episodes of bursitis.

There is an increased risk in developing bursitis for individuals working in some physical jobs or participating in regular sports. This is due to placing repetitive stress and strain on their joints, which increases their risk of developing bursitis. An example of this would be a carpenter developing knee bursitis or a golfer, elbow bursitis.

Identifying the cause of the bursitis is important as this may help with the treatment of the condition. For example, identifying the cause may allow you to eliminate or avoid an activity that initially led to the condition.

What Parts of the Body can Bursitis Affect?

What are the Symptoms of Bursitis?

The signs and symptoms of bursitis can vary from individual to individual depending on the degree of inflammation and will normally include localised pain and tenderness.

An extremely inflamed bursa may also result in visible swelling that appears as a lump. Visible swelling is a particularly common symptom of both knee and elbow bursitis that may cause joint stiffness and extreme pain when weight or pressure is applied to that affected joint.

(Diagnosis of bursitis should always be confirmed by a qualified doctor prior to starting any treatment and will often require an ultrasound).

How is Bursitis Diagnosed?

It is always best to visit a qualified medical professional if you suspect that you have bursitis in order to get a proper diagnosis before starting any treatment.

While many areas of bursitis can be assessed by a physical and visual examination it is still best to have an ultrasound to properly confirm the diagnosis. Your doctor may also feel that additional images or tests, such as an MRI, X-Ray and/or blood tests, are required to rule out other possible causes or co-existing conditions.

Next Page: Learn the answers to the most common questions asked about treating bursitis, including:

Testimonials

Real accounts by real people. Hear what they have to say!

Trochanteric Bursitis

Dear Toky, I wanted to let you know that the Bursitis Patches have worked on my Trochanteric Bursitis.  I cannot believe it. I do not have the pain or swelling there that I have had before.  It is very cool. I just wanted to let you know that, also.  We will see if it flares up […]

Jennifer P
Sunnyvale, United States
Hip Bursitis

I have used the Osmo Patch for hip bursitis and it worked wonderfully on both hips! Absolutely nothing else worked.

Josephine S
MI, United States
Hip bursitis

Hi Toky, Thank you for the prompt delivery of Patches. They arrived early Tuesday morning. My wife used one last night on hip and was surprised to find this morning that it was damp. There was a marked decrease in pain in the bursitis area. Of course it is far too early to judge results […]

Bob & Marjorie B
NSW, Australia
General Bursitis

Dear Toky, I finished my 2nd batch of patches a while ago now, and thought I would like to let you know that my bursitis and almost completely resolved!  I think the little bit of fluid there is, is just being absorbed normally now. So thank you very much for dealing with my query so […]

Pauline S
Auckland, New Zealand
Elbow Bursitis

Hi, Patches were amazing only needed 2 to get my very fluid swollen elbow to go significantly down. This was after 3 weeks of no other solution so VERY VERY HAPPY. Many thanks!

Gavin P
Langford Bristol, UK
Ankle and hips (trochanter bursitis)

Thank you very much. I have used the patches on three areas with amazing results. One was on my ankle…12 hours later the pain was completely resolved. The other two spots were on my hips for greater trochanter bursitis. One hip had been injected with cortisone and local anaesthetic on Monday. The patch applied on […]

Mandi D
NSW, Australia
Hip bursitis

Hi Toky I have received my patches and used one last night on my hip. It’s an absolute miracle!! I have been suffering on and off for three years with Bursitis on my left hip.  My GP has given me cortisone injections and anti inflammatorys both of which have given some relief but not lasted […]

Debbie S
East Sussex, United Kingdom
Bursa on elbow

Hi Danniel, I want to add to your list of testimonials my experience:- I developed a bursa on my right elbow by supporting a heavy electric motor under a washing machine whilst changing its brushes. There was no visible damage to the area but the bursa was the size of a tennis or even a […]

Jim K
Lancashire, United Kingdom
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