Work, Hobbies Can Lead to Bursitis Pain

If hobbies such playing musical instruments, going to the driving range, or gardening are interests of yours, it’s possible that you could end up with pain from certain parts of your body becoming inflamed.

title=Bursitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the bursa, which is a small sac that creates a cushion between moving parts of your body, including bones, muscles, tendons, and skin, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). When the bursa becomes inflamed, there will be redness, and it will fill with more fluid.

Overuse or a direct trauma to a joint are the most common causes of bursitis, according to the NIH. It happens frequently in the elbows or knees from repeatedly kneeling or leaning.

Other, less common, causes of bursitis include arthritis, diabetes, gout, an infection, blood disease, kidney disease, and thyroid disease, according to the NIH. Bursitis can be more common as people age.

With more than 150 bursae in a person’s body, it can be painful if they are inflamed, according to the NIH. Body parts that this condition most frequently affects include:

• ankle
• elbow
• hip
• knee
• shoulder
• wrist

Pain from bursitis usually occurs suddenly. It can become more painful when you move, but can be very painful even when you’re resting, according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

In many cases, treatment for bursitis, according to the ACR, follows a RICE recommendation:

• R – Rest
• I – Ice
• C – Compression
• E – Elevation

The rest should include avoiding any activity you think might have caused the pain to begin with, according to the ACR. Icing the area can help reduce inflammation and pain.

Your health care provider likely also will recommend using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen, to help with the pain. Acetaminophen and cream or ointment forms of NSAIDs also can be used to help treat pain from bursitis, according to the ARC.

If the bursitis was caused by an infection, your doctor might prescribe antibiotics to help treat it, according to the NIH.For more information about bursitis, talk with your doctor or visit Premier Health to find a physician.