Bursitis

ARTICLE SECTIONS

Introduction Signs and symptoms Causes Risk factors When to seek medical advice

Screening and diagnosis Treatment Prevention Self-care

Introduction

Whether you're at work or at play, if you overuse or repetitively stress your body's joints, you may eventually develop a painful inflammation called bursitis.

You have more than 150 bursae in your body. These small, fluid-filled sacs lubricate and cushion pressure points between your bones and the tendons and muscles near your joints. They help your joints move with ease. Bursitis occurs when a bursa becomes inflamed. When inflammation occurs, movement or pressure is painful.

Bursitis often affects the joints in your shoulders, elbows or hips. But you can also have bursitis by your knee, heel and the base of your big toe. Bursitis pain usually goes away within a few weeks or so with proper treatment, but recurrent flare-ups of bursitis are common.

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Signs and symptoms