Bursitis

Bursitis is simply swelling of a bursa, which are fluid-filled sacks found throughout the body at various locations. The role of a bursa is to reduce friction, absorb pressure/shock and allow smooth movement.

Unfortunately, bursa tend to have a bad name in the medical world, with people commonly being diagnosed with “bursitis”. In reality, bursitis should be viewed more as a symptom rather than a diagnosis, because bursa don’t just randomly become inflamed or enlarged, they require stress to provoke this reaction.

If all we do is address the localised swelling of the bursa, be it a cortisone injection or oral NSAIDs, unfortunately it is common for the problem to re-arise because the underlying factors that resulted in the bursa becoming inflamed or enlarged in the first place were never addressed.

I’ve Been Diagnosed With Bursitis. What Should I Do?

Firstly, you should be assessed to determine if the bursa is the likely cause of your pain. Just because a bursa looks enlarged on an image doesn’t mean it is the direct cause of pain.

If it does appear to be the cause of your pain, then you should remain engaged with your physiotherapist to address any relevant factors for at least 6 weeks, but ideally up to 10–12 weeks.

If there is no change in symptoms, or a worsening, this is when more direct settling strategies become important and should be followed up with your GP, sports doctor, or orthopaedic specialist.

The Take-Home Message

Bursitis is often a sign that a structure is being exposed to more stress than it can currently tolerate. While reducing inflammation can be helpful, long-term improvement usually comes from identifying and addressing the factors that caused the bursa to become irritated in the first place.