What is Bursitis?

Bursitis is an inflammation or irritation of a sac called a bursa. These sacs are located throughout your body and function to help ease friction and rubbing between tissues such as bone, muscle and tendons. These sacs are fluid filled and are located in your elbow, shoulder, hip, buttocks, knee and other joint areas.

Bursitis is a common condition in adults especially over 40. The main cause of bursitis is either repeated pressure on an area or by using the joint too much. Some of the symptoms of bursitis are:

• Pain is the most common symptom which can build up slowly or suddenly
• The joint may be stiff and swollen
• The joint tissues in the area can be visibly red

Activities such as gardening, shoveling, painting, and sports activities can cause bursitis. Some jobs that have repeated pressures on joints such as carpet layers, painters, carpenters and more are also susceptible.

Some preventative measures one can use are:

• Using cushions or pads when resting a joint on a hard surface when kneeling or sitting.
• Try not to use the same motions all the time. For people who play sports warm-up and stretch out while using proper form.
• Start out your activities slowly.
• Take regular breaks if the activity includes repeated motions.
• Use good posture and if something starts to hurt consult your therapist.

Bursitis can be successfully treated with physiotherapy and acupuncture. If you suspect bursitis contact our team for more information. You can contact our team at Dynamic Physiotherapy at 905-273-5433, or right here.