What is Bursitis? and how can I help?

Bursa’s helps to cushion bones, tendons, and muscles that are close to joints.  A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac, lined by a synovial membrane with an inner capillary layer of viscous synovial fluid.  Bursitis, as the name suggests, is an inflammation of this sac.  Bursitis is known to be a very painful condition.
The most common parts of the body affected by bursitis include the shoulders, elbow, and hips. However, bursitis can also be found in some other parts of the body such as knee, heel, thumb, and the ischial tuberosity 

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF BURSITIS?
Some of the symptoms which an individual affected by bursitis can experience include one or more of the following:

• Pain that becomes tense with movement or pressure
• Tenderness, even without movement
• Swelling
• Loss of movement

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF BURSITIS?
The most prevalent causes of bursitis remain repetitive movements or maintaining a position that exerts pressure on the bursae and surrounding joint. 
Some examples of activities that can cause bursitis are listed below: 
Throwing a baseball or raise something above your head several times
Resting on your elbows for a long time
Kneeling for tasks such as carpet laying or floor cleaning for a long period of time
Some other causes of bursitis include injury or trauma to the affected area and inflammatory arthritis, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and infection.

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DIAGNOSIS OF BURSITIS
A diagnosis of bursitis, will start with a physical examination of the affected area aswell as questions about recent activities.
In the event that the patient has a high temperature, a small sample of fluid from a bursa close to the affected area of the body can be taken by the doctor. This sample will be subjected to further testing for bacteria.
Some of the tests which can be done include:

• X-ray: This is done to check for broken or fractured bone
• Blood tests: Blood test is done to evaluate rheumatoid arthritis
• A CT scan or MRI scan: These tests are used to determine if there is a torn tendon

TREATMENT OF BURSITIS
Treatment of bursitis differs as it depends greatly on the severity of the symptoms. The treatment options are of two types which can either be self-treatment or medical treatment.

Self-treatment Here is where you can help as a Therapist
Majority of the cases of bursitis can be treated at home. However, this requires the assistance of a pharmacist and some self-care techniques.

Self-care usually involves:

1. Protecting the affected area: Pads can be used to protect the affected bursae from contact.
2. Rest: patients should avoid making use of the affected area unless necessary. Bursitis responds positively to rest.
3. Ice packs: Pains and inflammation can be reduced by placing ice packs wrapped in a towel on the affected area.
4. Lifting up the affected area: if it is raised, less blood is accumulated, which can help reduce inflammation.
5. Analgesics: Painkillers such as Ibuprofen can be used ( under the direction of a pharmacist) as an analgesic and reduce inflammation 

Medical treatment may be necessary for more serious symptoms.
Steroids: Steroid can be injected into the affected area. Steroids help to block the body chemical called prostaglandin which causes inflammation. Care must be taken when using steroids because they can increase patient blood pressure if they are used too long and increase the risk of infection.
Antibiotics
In the case a test confirms a bacterial infection, the doctor can prescribe antibiotics. The antibiotics used in this case are taken orally and in more serious cases they can be administered intravenously.
On the off chance that the treatment is not effective, additional tests may be done by the doctor in order to rule out the possibility of a more serious condition.