Bursitis flare ups can be painful
Source: Daily News
Today’s column will focus on bursitis. It is not the condition that someone laughingly told me that was something that occurred here every year in January when the temperatures dip below zero. Rather it is an inflammatory condition of one or more of the 150 bursae in the body.
A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that acts to reduce friction between the bone and a gliding tendon. This bursa helps the tendon by a joint move more efficiently by acting as a cushion. The most common bursae that are irritated and inflamed are the ones involving the elbows, the lateral aspect of the hips, and the anterior aspect of the knees. The bursal sac becomes inflamed or irritated in many different ways. It can become inflamed with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout. Repetitive injuries, such as kneeling, also known as housemaid’s knee, can often cause inflammation of the bursa. Trauma can also cause the bursae to become enlarged, swollen, red, and painful. Finally, infection can also cause bursal swelling and pain as well.