Bursitis Treatment in Chesterfield, MO

Bursitis is a painful condition wherein bursa becomes inflamed. Several joints throughout a person’s body have these bursa, which are small fluid-filled sacs that exist within the joint to relieve friction between the bones. There are three major types of bursitis, including:

• Chronic bursitis
• Traumatic bursitis
• Infected bursitis

Cause of Bursitis

Bursitis can be influenced by many factors. Most often, patients will develop bursitis from overuse of a joint, injury to a joint, or a related medical condition that affects joint health, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Individuals in certain professions like carpentry or athletics will have an increased risk of developing bursitis since they use certain joints more than the average person.

Bursitis Symptoms

Individuals with bursitis will experience a number of telling sensations within their joints that will indicate a case of bursitis.

The most common symptom is swelling of the joint as the bursa becomes inflamed. Other symptoms involve the pain that the person feels during regular movements, such as:

• Discomfort as you push to open a door
• Discomfort when you push on the top of the joint
• Pain when lying on the affected area

Treatment Options

Because so many cases of bursitis are a result of overuse, adequate rest can usually help to greatly reduce painful symptoms caused by bursitis. Other effective treatment methods for bursitis include:

• Over-the-counter medications to bring down inflammation of the bursa
• Applying ice to the area for 10-15 minutes at a time
• Utilize a brace to immobilize the joint and keep yourself from aggravating it further
• Gently stretching the area

If the aforementioned non-invasive treatments do not prove successful after months of implementation, it may be time to consider surgery. Types of surgery can vary, and will depend on the individual patient’s case.

Your surgeon will typically either opt to reconfigure the damaged tissues that are pressing into the bursa, or they may choose to remove the bursa entirely in order to provide more room within the joint.

It is very important to discuss each and every option available to you with your physician before committing to a course of treatment. Please contact Woods Mill Orthopedics today to schedule an appointment if you feel you are being negative impacted by bursitis.