A few weeks ago we shared about bursitis and how these structures help reduce friction between tissues in your body. When a bursa becomes inflamed, it is known as bursitis. Bursitis can happen in many areas of the body, including knee bursitis and Achilles bursitis (in the heel). Dr. Kevin McIntyre of Burlington Sports Therapy helps explain shoulder bursitis and how to treat it. Here’s an excerpt:
Many patients come to our clinic believing they have shoulder bursitis. Shoulder bursitis is a condition in which the bursa of the shoulder gets inflamed and generates pain. What is a bursa you ask? Let’s start from the beginning…
Bursa and Bursitis
Bursa are anatomical structures that are present throughout our body. A simple way to explain them is that they are “spacers” to separate different tissues in our body to prevent friction…think of a balloon filled with pudding. Under normal circumstances we don’t even know we have them. They are present in our shoulders, knees, hips (and other major joints) and they usually don’t cause any symptoms or signs of dysfunction. When provoked, these structures can become inflamed. When this happens they swell with fluid and create the painful condition called “bursitis”.
Before we discuss bursitis, we must understand what bursae are. There are 160 bursae in the human body. A bursa is an enclosed sac that is filled with fluid. These structures help reduce friction between tissues in your body, such as in the knees, shoulders, elbows, hips, and ankles. Some of the more common forms of this condition are knee bursitis and Achilles bursitis (bursitis in the heel).
When a bursa becomes inflamed, this is known as bursitis. This can happen from an injury to the area, overuse, infection, or from a sudden increase in activity level. The patient will feel pain and tenderness in the area, and in some cases there may be swelling. There is usually no loss in range of motion.
Treatment for bursitis begins with your doctor. Treatment often focuses on reducing inflammation by resting the area and applying cold compresses. In some cases, the fluid in the bursa may need to be removed. If there is infection present, treatment may need to be further evaluated and more aggressive.
A few days ago we posted about chronic ankle instability. When someone has chronic ankle instability, it means that he or she is constantly at risk for re-injuring their ankle. Certain sports make you more prone to ankle sprains and injuries, which is why wearing an ankle brace is important. The Aircast Airsport is recommended to help prevent ankle sprains during sports. Watch the video below to see how this brace protects your ankle and how easy this ankle brace is to use.
Learn more about how the Aircast Airsport guards against rollovers and ankle injuries.
Have you ever injured your ankle and noticed that it’s much easier to re-injure it again? This is known as chronic ankle instability. It’s usually caused by an ankle sprain that hasn’t healed properly. It means that the ligaments in your ankle may be over-stretched, leading to an ankle that constantly gives out. It can be especially unstable when walking or running on uneven surfaces.
Certain sports may make you more susceptible to chronic ankle instability, such as soccer, football, basketball, ballet and gymnastics. These activities require sharp turns and putting pressure on your feet, which makes you more likely to hurt your ankle. If you suffer an ankle sprain, make sure to consult your doctor to ensure that it heals properly. Treatment depends on the severity of the ankle sprain and its location on your foot. When you return to sports and physical activity, make sure to pace yourself. Strengthen up your muscles and warm up before you go full speed. Remember, proper treatment may help prevent re-injury and issues such as chronic ankle instability.
Holly B. is an active professional in her late twenties who spends her free time playing recreational flag football and league basketball. She recently tore her ACL and will be sharing her experiences with us as she works towards getting back into sports.
When researching about my knee injury, I learned that skiing is one of the biggest culprits for ACL tears. I guess I had never thought about it before, but it makes sense. You’re headed down the slope at a fairly high speed (even on the bunny trails). If you fall, your foot is caught in the ski, and it can twist your knee farther than its natural range of motion. I can’t even imagine the amount of stress that places on your ACL and other ligaments in your knee.
Luckily, a knee brace may help prevent injury to your knees during skiing, just like with other sports. Certified athletic trainer and product specialist Leana Rice recommends the DonJoy Ski Armor Knee Brace. It’s made with superior ACL protection just like the other DonJoy Armor knee braces. Plus it’s made especially for skiing. It has a shorter overall length so you can still comfortably wear your ski boot. It also has a ski deflector that prevents the brace from catching on your other leg – especially if you’re wearing two knee braces while skiing.
My friend recently invited me on a ski trip in February. I’m working hard on my ACL recovery, and I may decide to go as long as I have the best knee brace for skiing with me!