Bursitis Specialist

What is bursitis?

Your articulating joints are incredibly complex areas that allow movement where two or more bones meet. To help in this endeavor, your joints generally include the following components:

• Ligaments
• Tendons
• Cartilage
• Muscles
• Bursa sacs

The last item on this list is what provides cushioning for your bones and soft tissue in your joints. Bursitis occurs when these small sacs become inflamed, and the resulting pain can be considerable and can limit your movements. Bursitis can be a persistent and nagging condition, especially in joints that are in constant use.

Where can bursitis strike?

Bursitis can strike any joint that contains these small sacs, but the condition typically develops in your:

• Shoulders
• Hips
• Elbows
• Knees
• Big toe

Any joint that undergoes repetitive stresses is susceptible to bursitis, which is why it typically develops in the joints you use the most.

What are the treatments for bursitis?

Bursitis can be an incredibly persistent condition when it takes hold, resisting most conservative treatments, such as:

• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Icing
• Steroid injections
• Physical therapy

The doctors at Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center understand the nature of the condition and offer surgical solutions that relieve your pain once and for all, including:

• Arthroscopic shoulder surgery
• Open knee surgery
• Arthroscopic elbow surgery

These three represent the most common areas where persistent bursitis can develop, but if you’re having problems in other joints, you should sit down with your doctor to review your options.

When it comes to treating your bursitis, the orthopedic surgeons always attempt the least invasive route possible, but if your bursae are located in hard-to-reach areas, such as in your knees, they may have to resort to an open procedure.

In each of these procedures, the goal is to relieve your inflammation by draining your bursa sac. In rare cases, your surgeon may need to remove the sac.

After your procedure, you’ll need to rest the joint according to your doctor’s instructions. Once your joint is ready, your doctor recommends slowly exercising the area to build up the muscles, which takes the pressure off the more sensitive areas, such as your bursa sacs.

If you want relief from persistent bursitis, call Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center or fill out the online form to request an appointment.