Bursitis: What Is Inflamed and What Can Help?

Bursae sit between structures such as bone, tendon, muscle, and skin. When one becomes irritated, the surrounding area may feel tender, swollen, warm, or painful with movement or pressure. Common sites include the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee. Repeated movement, prolonged pressure, a direct knock, or an infection can irritate a bursa, although the cause is not always obvious.

Symptoms vary with the bursa involved. Pain may appear mainly during a particular movement, while a bursa close to the skin can produce a noticeable soft swelling. A clinical assessment can help distinguish bursitis from tendon, joint, or bone problems that can feel similar.

Reduce the activity or pressure that aggravates the area, but keep comfortable movement within your tolerance. A wrapped cold pack can be applied for short periods, and padding may protect an elbow or knee from direct pressure. Avoid repeatedly testing a painful motion, because that can keep the tissue irritated.

A clinician may suggest physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory medication, drainage of fluid, or a cortisone injection depending on the location, likely cause, examination, and your other health conditions. Do not try to drain a swelling yourself. If infection is suspected, assessment is needed because treatment differs from care for irritation caused by pressure or overuse.

Arrange medical assessment if pain or swelling is worsening, keeps returning, follows an injury, limits normal movement, or does not settle with activity changes. Seek prompt care for redness that is spreading, marked warmth, fever, chills, fluid leaking through the skin, or feeling generally unwell. These features can accompany an infected bursa and should not be managed with self-care alone.

Urgent evaluation is also appropriate when severe pain begins suddenly, you cannot use the limb normally, or the joint looks deformed after an injury.

Ask which bursa seems affected, whether infection or another joint problem needs to be excluded, and which movements are safe to continue. You can also ask whether medicine is suitable with your current conditions and medicines, when physiotherapy may help, and what changes should trigger an earlier follow-up.