The following common symptomatology is seen among patients with acute, chronic and recurrent bursitis:

• Joint pain and limitation of range of motion
• Joint stiffness
• Tenderness during palpation and movement
• Swelling of bursae and joint region
• Erythema over the joint area
• Unexplained bruising of the area of the bursae
• Reddish rash around the affected joint

Most of this signs and symptoms are conservatively treated at home or in a primary health facility. Patients are however advised to seek professional help if they experience the following with bursitis:

• Occurrence of fever
• Disabling joint pains
• Persistent joint pains for more than 1 to 2 weeks
• Excessive swelling and bruising in the affected area
• Sharp pain during exercise and exertion

• Severe Pain

  It is a rare but important cause of medial knee pain. A 65-year-old woman with knee osteoarthritis (OA) presented with severe pain and swelling in her left knee. She did not have a traumatic injury. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Acute bursitis comes on suddenly; severe pain and limitation of motion of the affected joint are the principal symptoms. [medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com]

  Symptoms include sudden, severe pain in the upper shoulder or upper third of the arm; aching in the shoulder region; difficulty sleeping on the shoulder; or pain when lifting the arm overhead. [orthop.washington.edu]

  For severe pain, your doctor might refer you to a specialist radiologist for an injection of corticosteroid medication into or around the bursa. In some cases, your doctor might recommend surgery to remove or drain the bursa. [healthdirect.gov.au]

  Treatment options may include pain-relieving medications, cold packs, gentle mobilising exercises and rest. Anti-inflammatory medications or injections of corticosteroids may be used in cases of severe pain. [msk.org.au]

• Painter

  And tradesmen, such as painters, tile setters and carpenters, whose jobs require repetitive motion, also can suffer from tendonitis. [mercy.net]

  Roofers, painters, and carpenters often have elbow bursitis. Thus, it has been called carpenter's elbow and even miner's elbow because miners used to swing heavy hammers in their work. It can be caused by playing tennis or even by vacuuming. [encyclopedia.com]

  […] acromioclavicular (AC) joint Tears of the surrounding rotator cuff Impingement by the coraco-acromial ligament Coracoid impingement Impingement on the posterosuperior aspect of the glenoid Bursitis could also be related to some professional activities (e.g. painter [physio-pedia.com]

• Asymptomatic

  One month after treatment the patient was asymptomatic. X-ray, ultrasound, and MR examinations confirmed the almost complete disappearance of the calcification; only very tiny fragments remained. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Hence in children, if they are asymptomatic, they should be left alone. A photograph showing inflammation of the right prepatellar bursa after trauma. There is swelling over the right knee. Can the bursitis recur? Yes it can. [joint-pain-expert.net]

  A year after treatment the patient remains asymptomatic. Discussion The bursae are virtual cavities located in areas of friction, coated with synovial cells. [reumatologiaclinica.org]

  These are the most frequently encountered cystic lesions of the knee, with a prevalence of 9% among older individuals with asymptomatic OA [ 10 ] and 33% for those with symptomatic OA [ 10 ]. [arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com]

  Herein, we report the case of a 40-year-old woman who presented with a 3-year history of multiple asymptomatic yellowish-brown, indurated papules and plaques on her forehead. [kiss.kstudy.com]

• Hand Pain

  In addition to shoulder blade pain, this can cause tingling in the arm and hand. Nerve Compression Tingling in the arm and hands is caused by abnormal pressure at some point along the path of the nerves that supply these areas. [livehealthy.chron.com]

  Symptoms include numbness or tingling in the hand, initially only at night or when the wrist is flexed for a long time; feelings of swelling in the hand; weakness of the thumb upon pinching; and unexplained hand pain. [orthop.washington.edu]

• Arm Pain

  Painful arc of movement – shoulder pain felt between 60 - 90° of the arm moving up and outwards. When your arm is by your side there is minimal pain and above 90° relief of pain. [physioworks.com.au]

• Hearing Impairment

  […] loss” or deafness or hypoacusis or hypoacuses or “hearing impairment”) Hepatitis (“Insulin-dependent diabetes” or “type-1 diabetes” or “juvenile-onset diabetes” or “sudden-onset diabetes” or IDDM or “brittle diabetes” or “autoimmune diabetes” or “ketosis-prone [nap.edu]

• Hip Pain

  Before a doctor makes a diagnosis of hip bursitis he or she must rule out other common problems that could cause hip pain, including lower back problems such as spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease, as well as hip osteoarthritis, osteonecrosis [arthritis-health.com]

  Common conditions that can cause lateral hip pain are: Iliotibial Band Syndrome Snapping Hip Syndrome Gluteus Medius Tendon Dysfunction and Tears Meralgia Paresthetica Referred Pain Outcome Measures • VAS-scale for pain • International Hip Outcome Tool [physio-pedia.com]

• Knee Pain

  Calcific bursitis of the MCL of the knee is very uncommon, but should be taken into account in differential diagnoses for medial knee pain. UGPL is proposed as a treatment for this condition. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Other causes of knee pain include... [joint-pain-expert.net]

• Shoulder Pain

  Pain made worse when lying on your affected shoulder. Pain made worse when using your arm above your head. Painful arc of movement – shoulder pain felt between 60 - 90° of the arm moving up and outwards. [physioworks.com.au]

  Surgery may be required to resolve some shoulder problems; however, 90 percent of patients with shoulder pain will respond to simple treatment methods such as altering activities, rest, exercise, and medication. [emoryhealthcare.org]

  Shoulder blade pain makes reaching overhead difficult. [livehealthy.chron.com]

  Shoulder pain from bursitis is common in both young athletes and middle-aged people. Repetitive lifting or overhead activities also increases susceptibility to injury. [stoneclinic.com]

• Heel Pain

  Share: Are you experiencing pain by the bottom of the back of your heel? Then you may be suffering from a common heel condition called Retrocalcaneal Bursitis. Retrocalcaneal bursitis is a medical condition that causes heel pain. [injurymap.com]

  Heel Bursitis Heel pain can be caused by a variety of reasons. Pain in the back of the heel may be due to inflammation of the bursa located in the area where the heel bone connects to the Achilles tendon. [onhealth.com]

  How to treat your knee, hip, and heel pain. Click To Tweet [runnersconnect.net]

  Continue reading… Achilles heel pain from Achilles tendinitis and bursitis, treatment and prevention Achilles tendinitis and Achilles bursitis are two types of heel pain that result from inflammation in the Achilles tendon. [belmarrahealth.com]

• Back Pain

  […] light based devices used to treat Onychomycosis and other fungal, nail and skin conditions, acute/chronic pain, bursitis, back pain et Vägev koht sul! [et.glosbe.com]

  bursitis, back pain, carpal tunnel, arthritis pain, tennis elbow, muscle strain, tendonitis, and other conditions da Rubrik # i EUR. [da.glosbe.com]

  CONCLUSIONS: Inflammation of lumbar bursae may be responsible for the low back pain reported by patients with PMR. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Myofascial back pain is a dull, aching pain located in the connective tissue (fascia) or in the muscles of the lower back and buttocks. Causes include minor injury or strain to the back without an actual herniated disc or fracture. [orthop.washington.edu]

• Irritability

  It can be difficult to distinguish an inflamed bursa (irritated with no infection) and an infected bursa (irritated with infection or bacteria present). [hopkinsmedicine.org]

  They can irritate the bursa and cause inflammation. To diagnose hip bursitis, the doctor will perform a comprehensive physical examination, looking for tenderness in the area of the point of the hip. [orthoinfo.aaos.org]

  Repetitive movements such as painting, gardening, tennis, scrubbing and even throwing a ball can irritate the condition and cause it to flare up. [mdsave.com]

  Of course, bursitis can will vary with each person, as it strikes the areas you use and irritate the most. [bursitis.org]

• Headache

  #-varecertifikater, der udstedes i medfør af denne beslutning, skal indeholde en af følgende angivelser en hypesthesia, arthralgia, asthenia, pain, bursitis, dermatitis, headache, injection site hypersensitivity, malaise, nausea, paresthesia, postural [da.glosbe.com]

• Dizziness

  Side effects of NSAIDs can include heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, easy bruising or bleeding, and dizziness. More severe side effects may include ulcers, kidney problems, and liver inflammation. [orthop.washington.edu]

  […] excessive inflammation around the bones or joints: very disabiling joint pain that leaves you unable to move a high amount of swelling, redness, heat, bruising or a rash in the affected area very sudden and sharp, shooting pains a fever loss of appetite, dizziness [draxe.com]

• Tremor

  […] or dyssynergia or rubral tremor?) (“Brachial plexus neuritis” or “brachial neuritis” or “brachial neuralgia?” or “amyotroph* neuralgi*” or “cervicobrachial neuralgia?” or “cervico-brachial neuralgia?” [nap.edu]

• Paresis

  […] gastrointestinal haemorrhage, bursitis, confusion, depression, dyspnoea, abnormal healing, renal insufficiency, kidney calculus, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, membranous glomerulonephropathy, polymyositis, thrombophlebitis, liver damage, leucopenia, paresis [da.glosbe.com]

The following diagnostic procedures and tests are commonly used among patients suffering from bursitis:

Imaging

Although X-ray radiographs cannot detect bursitis, this tool is most useful in ruling out any osseous pathology in the area that could mimic the symptom. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonology may be used to ascertain the diagnosis of bursitis when physical examination remains uncertain [7].

Laboratory tests

A fine needle may be inserted at the swollen bursae to harvest the inflamed fluids for laboratory testing. Tests may reveal the state of the inflammation and the type of organism that causes the infection within the bursae.

The majority of cases of bursitis are treated conservatively by affording adequate rest to affected area, application of ice packs, and the use of pain relievers. Where conservative management fails to offer palliative relief and resolution, the following therapies are being implored in cases of bursitis:

• Antibiotics when bursitis is found to be caused by an infective agent.
• Physical therapy to ease the pain and prevent the recurrence of the discomfort.
• Corticosteroid injections may be given directly to the bursae to afford instant relief of the pain among patients [8]. Corticosteroid injections can be guided accurately by the use of ultrasound [9].
• Assistive devices. The use of walkers and walking canes may assist the patient’s mobility and reduce pain symptoms during ambulation.
• Surgery. Inflamed and infected bursae may be surgically drained to relieve the pressure and shorten the clinical course of the disease. Sometimes the whole bursa is surgically removed to permanently address the recurrent problem [10].

There is a very low mortality rating for bursitis. Patients with bursitis are usually treated and followed up on an outpatient basis in most medical facilities. The prognosis of bursitis is generally good for all cases.

The most common cause of bursitis is associated with the repetitive movements and friction that may irritate the bursae. The following common movements and situations may give rise to bursitis:

• Repetitive pitching of a baseball
• Regular lifting of dumbbells overhead
• Extensive kneeling among monks and nuns
• Leaning on the elbows on an extended period of time
• Prolonged sitting on a hard surface 

The less common causes of bursitis include rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, and infectious arthritis [2].

The world prevalence rate of bursitis in primary care centers is only 4 out of 1000 patient visits. The most common sites of bursitis are the shoulder, elbow, hip, thigh and knee joints. Here is a high incidence of bursitis among athletes especially among the running sports, reaching an incidence ratio of up to 1 of 10 runners. Studies have revealed that men are more prone to bursitis especially those involved in heavy workload labor that involves frequent kneeling [3]. In septic superficial bursitis, men are more predisposed than women with a relative ratio of 17:3.

The advent of the repetitive trauma to the bursae over the joints encourages synovial cytosis. The thickening of the membranes through continuous collagen formation will increase fluid production within the joint. Chronically, this will result in granulation formation on the surface of the synovial which is followed by the onset of fibrosis. The fibrin rich fluid within the bursae can become hemorrhagic is some cases that could trigger an inflammation [4]. Studies relates that these reactions may be mediated by cyclooxygenases, metalloproteases, and cytokines during the inflammatory process.

By convention, there are three kinds of bursitis: Acute, recurrent and chronic forms [5]. Acute bursitis results during the sudden thickening of the synovial fluid causing pain during movement. Chronic bursitis results with long standing pain causing the weakening of the joint muscles, tendons, and ligaments as a complication. The recurrent forms are those sporadic and intermittent attacks of acute bursitis in a period of time like those seen in swimmers, gymnasts, and weight lifters [6].

There are some modifiable factors that can be resorted to prevent the recurrence of bursitis and allay its symptoms. The use of knee pads can greatly reduce the friction of the kneeling surface towards the afflicted bursa. Avoidance of lifting excessive weight loads will prevent the undue pressure on the hips and knee bursae. For those involved in repetitive tasks, frequent breaks may be needed to afford some rest on the bursae and joints involved. Changing one’s position frequently while doing repetitive tasks may also do the trick efficiently. Athletes should do pre-activity warm ups and stretching to strengthen the joints and the muscles around the bursae.

Bursitis is a clinical disease characterized by acute and chronic inflammation of the bursa. This inflammation is usually caused by repetitive trauma or friction, infections, and crystal depositions. Patients usually complain of pain during movement, tenderness, and swelling.

Bursitis is a disorder described as a painful swelling and inflammation of the fluid filled sacs that cushions the bone, muscles and tendons called bursae. These bursae are found in some of the major joints of the body including the shoulder, hip, elbow and the knee joints. Bursitis commonly occurs on joints that do frequent and repetitive movements. In bursitis, the synovial lining histologically thickens and produces excessive fluid that leads to localized swelling and tenderness [1]. Most of the cases are resolved within weeks after resting the affected site or by giving simple pain control measures.

Definition

Bursitis is a medical disorder described as a painful swelling and inflammation of the fluid filled sacs that cushion the bone, muscles and tendons called bursae.

Cause

 Bursitis is caused by any repetitive motion and friction over a bursa. It is caused by trauma, infections. It can also be secondry to crystal depositions.

Symptoms

The common symptoms the patient experiences is pain in the affected area, tenderness, limitation of movement, and swelling.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of bursitis can be made by proper physical examination most of the times. Imaging studies sometimes can give a better clue. Specific diagnosis of the causative agent can sometimes be made by laboratory examination of bursa aspirate.

Treatment

Treatment involves adequate rest, applying ice packs, analgesics, antibiotics for infection, physical therapy, joint injections with corticosteroids, and surgery.

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