- Prevent bursitis by avoiding activities that require repetitive motions.
- Stay in shape! Well-conditioned muscles are less susceptible to overuse injuries than tight or weak muscles.
Dull and persistent joint pain—pain that increases with movement—may be due to bursitis. While bursitis may produce some of the same symptoms as arthritis, bursitis affects the tissues surrounding the joint rather than the joint itself.
Bursitis is an inflammation of one of the small fluid-filled sacs, or bursae, that act as cushions in areas of the body where muscles or tendons move over bones or other muscles. The bursae prevent friction by protecting muscles and tendons from coming into direct contact with bones. When a bursa becomes inflamed, pain and swelling result. There are about 150 bursae in the body, but the ones most commonly affected are in the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and feet.
In most cases bursitis results from joint overuse due to repetitive motions. For example, bursitis in the shoulder can be brought on by excessive strain, such as from serving a tennis ball. People with arthritis are at greater risk for developing bursitis because they may try to compensate for joint pain by making awkward or exaggerated movements that lead to improper body mechanics. Thus, even everyday activities may irritate the bursae.
Bursitis is not chronic (most cases clear up by themselves within a few days to two weeks), but it can recur unless you adopt protective measures. The best way to prevent bursitis is to avoid activities that require repetitive motions (which is not always possible) and by staying in shape, since well-conditioned muscles are less susceptible to overuse injuries than tight or weak muscles. Even then, be sure to increase the pace or intensity of exercise gradually—and stop any activity immediately if sudden joint pain occurs.
