Bursitis

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What is Bursitis?

Bursitis refers to the inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a fluid filled sac that prevents friction between bony surfaces and soft tissues in the body, especially in or around joints. When one of these bursae is inflamed, it becomes swollen and painful. The inflammation of a bursa may come about as a result of excessive movement or pressure on the bursa, infection or other diseases that may affect the joint and its environs (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis or gout).

The most common cases involve the knee, a condition colloquially referred to as "house-maid's knee". However, it can affect almost any joint in the body, such as the elbow, ankle or shoulder. It is more likely that a person will contract bursitis if they are involved in a job or a hobby that involves repetitive movement or constant pressure on a particular joint.

Who gets Bursitis?

Anybody can get bursitis. It is more common among people who have jobs or hobbies that involve repetitive movement of a particular joint or groups of joints, or constant pressure on a particular area (e.g. playing lots of tennis or golf, sitting for long periods of time).

Predisposing Factors

Bursitis occurs most commonly in the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee joints. Inflammation or degeneration seen in the bursae at these sites is usually the result of a repetitive movement injury. When bursitis occurs with repetitive movement disorders, inflammation is often limited to a portion of the bursa.

Things that may increase the possibility of bursitis include:

Trauma
Infection
Crystal deposits (gout)
Systemic disease (rheumatoid arthritis)
Sepsis

Progression

The first sign of bursitis is normally pain. This may get worse and may even be present when you are resting. This pain is often followed by a loss or restriction of movement about the joint. There is also tenderness and swelling.

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