Bursitis is a painful condition in which fluid-filled sacs (bursae) which are swollen cushions between bones, tendons, and muscles. The most common condition is called olecranon bursae, that is, elbow bursitis. Movements of the elbow are usually unimpaired and painless (may vary from patient to patient). It can be acute or chronic, septic or even aseptic. Traumatic bursitis can occur due to an injury or a hidden trauma. Septic bursitis is usually when the bacteria directly enter through a skin abrasion. Bursitis is also common in the shoulder, elbows, hips, thighs, buttocks, knee, and heel (Lawry, 2006).
Things You Can Do
- Avoid leaning or putting any pressure on the elbows.
- Wear elbow pads and use cushions for support.
- Take breaks and use good posture all day.
- If you play sports, mix things up so you don’t repeat the same motions all the time.
- Stop activities that cause pain (McAfee & Smith, 1988).
Diagnosis
If you experience pain, fever, chills, night sweats, develop bulge or lump and can't continue with regular activities, it is a good time to visit your physician (Bracilovic, 2019). The physician will do a physical exam to see if the joint is swollen and suggest imaging and lab tests.
Treatment
Bursitis is a common condition in which the treating physician must be aware of the predisposing factors, clinical signs and symptoms, and laboratory findings of both septic and aseptic. Physicians first suggest conservative treatment, such as ice, resting, anti-inflammatory, and pain relief drugs, and removing fluid from the bursa (Bracilovic, 2019). When the treatment does not show satisfactory results, patients are recommended a surgical option. If the bursitis is infectious, you may be given antibiotics post-surgery to recover. Such minimally invasive procedures are not free from complications but can avoid any wound problems. Even research suggests that Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) Therapy has shown great potential in treating musculoskeletal issues.
Advanced Joint Pain Relief Program
If you’re suffering from the condition and feel you’ve not found a treatment that provided pain relief, look no further as we can help in your healing journey! Our doctors may help improve elbow bursitis with our Advanced Joint Pain Relief Program.
Our Advanced Joint Pain Relief Program is nonoperative, and doesn't utilize any form of anti-inflammatories or narcotics, rather an approach using various therapies to encourage your body to heal itself. For example, an advanced therapy we incorporate in our program is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy. In Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), our health professional draws the blood, and with the help of centrifugate, separates the platelet-rich plasma from the rest of the blood. We use ultrasound imaging to guide the injections, and then the doctor directly injects into bursa. By directly injecting into bursa, the body increases its natural healing response, and reduces the inflammation of the bursa. PRP injections may appear safe for decreasing pain and improving the function.
Vitality Integrative Wellness in Temecula has been serving patients for years now. You may consult our doctors and learn more about the Advanced Joint Pain Relief Program by booking an appointment at (951) 386-3399.
Disclaimer: The results may vary from patient to patient.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1026560/?page=4
Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/bursitis
Source: https://www.arthritis-health.com/types/bursitis/elbow-olecranon-bursitis-symptoms