Back to HomeYour body has a natural cushion that prevents friction between the bone and tendon. This cushion is called the bursa. With too much use, it may become inflamed and cause stiffness and pain. The condition usually occurs one of two ways. First, and the most common is by repetitive movement. Thus, the constant rubbing of the tendon over the bone can cause the bursa to become inflamed and irritated. An example of this would be a golfer who "swings" too many times over a short interval of time and causes a lot of friction in one specific joint area, such as the elbow or shoulder.
The other common way that people develop Bursitis is by compression of a specific area over a long time. For example, a person who lies on their side for long periods of time may develop problems in the shoulder of hips. The areas that are most commonly affected are the ankle, heel, hip, elbow and shoulder.
The symptoms of bursitis can vary but usually produces stiffness, especially the day after heavy use of an inflamed area. Some people may experience a burning sensation around the joint area. Depending on the amount of injury to the area, it may take 3 to 6 weeks to heal. However, it could take months or even years to recover, especially if the area continues to get a lot of use. People who cannot give the area time to "heal" may experience a life long chronic problem.
Professional treatment for the condition should be sought in severe cases or if the pain persists after a few weeks. Ignoring the problem may enhance the problem and produce a more lengthy and costly rehabilitation. Treatment may include bracing the area to prevent further movement of the area until healed; light stretching exercises, massages, hot and cold therapy, application of topical medicines, or injections.
To prevent inflammation of the bursa, a person should keep the tendons around the joints lose and flexible by stretching the muscles on a regular basis. People who are having problems with compression on a joint (long periods of lying on one side or area) should evaluate their mattress and sleeping conditions to lesson affects on the joints and bursa.
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