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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staff
Bursitis treatment usually involves conservative measures, such as rest, ice and taking a pain reliever, as a first step. If conservative measures don't work, treatment may include:
- Medication. If the inflammation in your bursa is caused by an infection, your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic medication.
- Therapy. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy or exercises to strengthen the muscles in the affected area to ease pain and prevent recurrence.
- Injections. Your doctor may inject a corticosteroid drug into the bursa to relieve inflammation. This treatment generally brings rapid pain relief and, in many cases, one injection is all you'll need.
- Surgery. Sometimes an inflamed bursa must be surgically drained, but only rarely is surgical removal of the affected bursa necessary.
References
- Sheon RP. Bursitis: An overview of clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 4, 2011.
- Schmidt MJ, et al. Tendinopathy and bursitis. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00204-8&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&uniqId=270872816-2. Accessed Aug. 4, 2011.
- Colburn KK. Bursitis, tendinitis, myofascial pain, and fibromyalgia. In: Bope ET, et al. Conn's Current Therapy 2011. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0986-5..00022-3&isbn=978-1-4377-0986-5&uniqId=270872816-3. Accessed Aug. 4, 2011.
- Questions and answers about bursitis and tendonitis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bursitis/default.asp. Accessed Aug. 4, 2011.
- Clark BM. Tendonitis. American College of Rheumatology. http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/patients/diseases_and_conditions/tendonitis.pdf. Accessed Aug. 4, 2011.
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