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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffBursitis treatment is usually simple and includes:
- Resting and immobilizing the affected area
- Applying ice to reduce swelling
- Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen (Aleve, others), to relieve pain and reduce inflammation
Sometimes, your doctor may recommend physical therapy or exercises to strengthen the muscles in the area. Additionally, 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.
If your bursitis is caused by an infection, you'll need to take antibiotics. Sometimes the bursa must be surgically drained, but only rarely is surgical removal of the affected bursa necessary.
- Sheon RP. Bursitis: An overview of clinical manifestations, diagnosis and management. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 17, 2009.
- Koutouzis T, et al. Tendinopathy and bursitis. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier: 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/150230519-3/863979815/1365/357.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50120-7--cesec26_5866. Accessed July 17, 2009.
- Wong AL, et al. Bursitis, tendonitis, myofascial pain and fibromyalgia. In: Rakel RE, et al. Conn's Current Therapy 2008. 60th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/151179629-3/866218324/1621/495.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4435-2..50249-1--cesec14_3920. Accessed July 20, 2009.
- 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 July 21, 2009.
- Tendonitis/Bursitis. American College of Rheumatology. http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/diseases_and_conditions/tendonitis.asp. Accessed July 21, 2009.
