Bursitis Treatment
Bursa are fluid sacs which are positioned all around the body to help offer some protection and lubrication between tendons and bony points where our muscles attach. Bursitis is inflammation or irritation of these sacs due to any combination of reasons.
Common bursas that exist around the body include:
- Subacromial bursa (in the shoulder between the ball and socket)
- Olecranon bursa (behind the elbow)
- Pre patella bursa (in front of the knee cap)
- Greater Trochanteric bursa (at side of the hip bone)
- Retro calcaneal bursa (behind the heel bone)
Risk factors for bursitis
- Training imbalances – overload or underload
- Too much too soon
- Muscle imbalances – eg weaker gluteals and tighter ITB
- Direct trauma – eg landing direct on knee or elbow
- Obesity or increased weight increases risk
- Muscle weakness and tightness
- Poor throwing technique
- Poor running technique
- Poor footwear
Treatment of bursitis
Like all injuries, we try and understand the many combination of factors that have caused the injury and develop a program based on addressing each of these factors when you come to us for bursitis treatment.
- Strengthening and stretching exercises are often required
- Carefully designing a plan to gradually build fitness rather than push it too fast
- Ultrasound and Electric currents haven’t been found to be effective in bursitis treatment so we don’t use these machines and prefer to use exercise as the best modality
- Helping to get the correct footwear or sporting equipment can assist in treating bursitis
- Anti inflammatory medication and cortisone injections are often used in conjunction with rehab programs to reduce symptoms.
