What is Bursitis?
Bursitis is the inflammation of one or more bursae, which are small sacs of synovial fluid in human body. Bursae rest on the pressure points between bones and tendons, in very close proximity to the joints. For example, bursae in hip, shoulder, ankle, and knee keep body’s movements smooth by acting as shock absorbers, and lubricating areas of movement between bone, tendon, and muscle. Repeated movement or stress on joints, for example throwing a baseball, can irritate the bursae in shoulder, causing bursitis. Bursitis is nothing but body’s response to the injury of bursae. An inflammation at a joint results in pain and tenderness at that point, restricting sufferer’s movements. Some examples of bursitis are Prepatellar bursitis, Trochanteric bursitis, Olecranon bursitis, and Subacromial bursitis.
Causes and symptoms
Bursitis can be acute as in pain that immediately follows an injury, or chronic as in a recurring inflammation in the same joint. Its symptoms may vary from an achy stiffness to intense pain involving the entire joint. The reason behind bursitis can be trauma. Repetition of movement or excessive pressure can be the other reasons. Inflammation of bursae can be caused by other inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Particularly, scoliosis can be a cause of bursitis of shoulders. Other causes may be incorrect posture, abnormal bone structures that put a stress on tendons in the joint area, for example, having one leg longer than the other. Even gout can be a cause of bursitis, when crystalline deposits go into a joint fluid and get deposited around the joint capsule.
Prevention
It is recommended not to overuse joints, be it heavy labor or leisure activities. It is important to warm-up doing at least three minutes of light activity, in order to lessen the impact of repetitive movements on joints. Staying fit is always the best option to avoid bursitis, and other diseases. Any kind of strength training is very crucial. It is a nice idea to take breaks during tasks that require repetitive movements, or during exercise. Leaning, kneeling, or sitting on hard surfaces for long period of time can cause compression of bursae. It is a good idea to use chairs having padding for joints.